Something New
by Punstereo
Summary: Since neither of them have any experience in dating, both Yuna and Hina have a limited understanding on what they are suppose to do as a couple. Fortunatly, they can take things one step at a time in their new relationship together.
1. Morning After

Gentle rays from the morning sun shone through the curtain of a small bedroom. The bedroom didn't contain much mainly because of its size and the person who owned it. The simple room only contained some light blue curtains, a desk, a bookshelf which contained an assortment of books ,and a bed in one of the corners. Light snoring could be heard coming from the direction of the bed. The causes for the quiet sound were none other than Komano Hina and Toomi Yuna. The still new couple were sleeping peacefully in Yuna's bed. It was the morning after the two of them decided to redo their "first time" and the effects were clearly shown.

It was currently 10:35 am on a saturday morning. Luckily there was no school for the day which meant they could sleep in a bit. However, the sun coming from the window was directly shining in the eyes of a sleeping Hina. This caused the small runner to slowly stir awake since the rays of the sun were beginning to irritate her. It didn't take long for Hina to fully regain conscious and be aware of her current situation. Somehow in the middle of the night, Hina, who was facing Yuna when they went to sleep, managed to turn away from her childhood friend and face the opposite direction. Another thing Hina realized were a warm set of arms encircling her waist. The pair of arms held a firm grip which was gentle enough to be seen as a loving gesture but still tight enough to ensure Hina couldn't pry them off of her waist.

Feeling a warmth spreading through her cheeks, Hina understood how much of an intimate position she was in. She once heard from one her senpais that what Yuna and Hina were currently doing is called "spooning". Hina's blush deepened when she realized that she actually enjoyed the way the brunette was holding her, as if she was protection something precious to her. The shorter girl decided to stay in the position a little longer since she didn't want to wake Yuna up.

As Hina laid on the comfortable bed with her girlfriend, she started to reflect on the events that lead to her current situation. Who would've guessed that she would be dating her long-time friend from her childhood. The two of them have been together as long as she could remember. Their moms were close friend which is why their names are so similar. Up until this point, Hina had never seen Yuna being interested in love, being in a relationship, or anything close to the subject. _I guess Yuna-nee had more important things to do like watching over me while our moms worked the late night shifts at the hospital,_ Hina thought to herself. The shorter girl also thought back to the time when she started to develope her feeling for Yuna.

At first, it was simple feeling of adoration. She looked up to the excellent cook as a sort of role model and older sister. Yuna made excellent food that always tasted amazing. She even made some of Hina's favorite foods that contained meat. Not only that, she helped her with her homework whenever she struggled and was always able to take control of a situation while being organized. Then, her feelings started to change and Hina began to notice some other things about the brunette. Every time she saw Yuna with some other friend, Hina felt an odd sensation in her chest. It wasn't until she had a conversation with her friend Maki-san that she realized what her feeling meant. The answer was so simple yet it caused her to blush whenever she thought about it.

 _I love Yuna-nee._

Hina remember the words she said to herself the night she understood her feelings. When she began to ponder this thought. her cheeks would always feel like they're on fire. She would then go out on her balcony and let the night air cool her down. Hina was unable to tell Yuna her feeling until the end of her school's festival and the end of her "date" with her two senpais. She could clearly recall the entire thing as if it happened yesterday.

* * *

Hina ran towards the main gate of the school where she told Yuna to wait for her since she forgot to get her bag. She had just finished talking to Inamoto-senpai and Amishima-senpai about their "date".They wanted her to decide who was the better senpai during their time in the festival. Of course, Hina already knew her answer. The dark haired girl already had feeling for Yuna and she planned to tell her when they met up. As she got close to her destination, she began to see Yuna waiting by the front gate as she said she would.

Yuna was wearing her ordinary school uniform. The blue sweater vest was atop of the white button up she wore underneath. The blue skirt she wore indicated that she was a second year. She also had her brown hair in a ponytail like to Hina, it felt that Yuna was dressed more appropriately for school. Hina, while Yuna wore her school uniform, wore a light grey shirt along with a greed track jacket that was black along the shoulder and the sleeves. She also wore a pair of black running shorts and was carrying her bag by her side. Her hair was short and a bit disheveled.

"I'm ready, Yuna-nee."

Hina said as she approached Yuna. At first glance it appeared that her childhood friend was lost in thought. She had a sort of worried and anxious look on her face but it was quickly replaced with a friendly demeanor when Hina arrived. Though, if someone looked closely, they could still see a hint of anxiousness on her expression.

"M-Mhm" Yuna replied while stuttering a bit.

"Sorry for the wait" Hina said in her normal monotonous yet quiet voice.

Once again, the brunette replied with a simple,"M-Mhm"

After taking a closer look at her friend, Hina realized that she look troubled about something. The shorter girl was about to ask her what was wrong but she remember she had something important to tell Yuna.

" … Umm, Yuna-nee." Hina got Yuna's attention. She was having a bit of difficulty finding the correct words. She was about to tell her child friend that she had feelings for her. The runner wanted this to be a special moment since this was a serious matter.

It took a while for Yuna to reply since she appeared taken back by Hina suddenly speaking. "M-Mhm … what is it?" Yuna asked with a bit of hesitant in her voice.

"I talked with my senpai" said Hina looking directly and Yuna now.

"I-I see." uttered Yuna while looking away a bit. There was a light pink sprinkled on her cheeks as she did this. Hina ,however, had a small smile gracing her face. She was about to tell her crush the feeling she had for a while now. The thought made her a bit happy since she has a clear answer and a clear understanding of her feelings.

"I gave them a real answer" Hina added after Yuna's reply.

"Y-you did?" Yuna sputtered looking a bit worried. It was now clear that something was bother Yuna very greatly. The shorter girl had never seen her friend looking so worked up before. Usually she had a calm demeanor while tackling a situation with an organized plan. There were only a few cases where Yuna was visibly stressed about something this big. Either way, Hina continued with her plan to tell Yuna her feelings.

"Umm Yuna-nee I … I realized … that I … I love you, Yuna-nee. If I have to have a girlfriend, I want it to be you." Hina admitted while blushing a bit. And in that moment, she felt satisfied. She successfully told Yuna her feelings for her. The black haired girl was looking at Yuna, studying her reaction. At first, the taller girl didn't show any reaction. Just for safe measures Hina said again a bit louder this time,

"I love you Yuna-nee"

* * *

Ever since that day, Hina had been patiently waiting for Yuna's answer. To her, it didn't matter what the older girl's answer was. If her feelings were returned or not, the younger girl would still be happy that she got to tell her feelings in the first place. It was a long month of waiting for an answer. It was clear that yuna was thinking really hard on a response to give Hina. It got to a point where it would affect the brunette so much that she would forget her school work. This caused Hina to worry for her friend's mental state.

Fortunately, the black haired girl did manage to get a response from her long time friend. It was only four simple words, yet they were the most important words she had ever heard. _I love you, Hina._ Yuna's words resonated inside her mind. At that time, Hina was filled with a great feeling of happiness. She jumped in Yuna's arms and affectionately embraced the taller girl. Hina considered it one of the happiest moments of her life.

Hina was brought back from her daydreaming when she heard some stirring happening behind her. The hold on her waist loosened a bit and she felt her girlfriend nuzzling her neck a bit. The action caused the black haired girl to feel blood rushing to her cheeks. When Yuna woke up completely, she too blushed at the position they were in but decided to ignore it for now.

"Good morning Hina. Sleep well?" Yuna whispered to Hina since they were fairly close to each other where hearing the other person talk wouldn't be a problem. The younger girl got out of Yuna's arms so she could face the other girl properly. For an instant, Yuna missed the feeling of having Hina in her arms but quickly chased the thought away.

"Mhm" Hina replied in her usual fashion, her eyes closed in content. She reached out and buried her face in older girl's chest. Taking an intake of breath, Hina caught the natural scent of the brown haired girl in front of her. For some reason, Yuna always smelled of spring. The refreshing scent waft through her nose and cause her to start dozing off again. Yuna let out a soft giggle at the cute gesture but realized that they better start getting ready for the day.

"Come on. I'll go ahead and start making breakfast," Yuna stated while getting out of bed. She removed Hina from her embrace which caused the short haired girl to let out a disapproving noise from having her comfortable position taken from her.

"You know we can't lay in bed all day" Yuna said in a bit of a motherly tone. The girl in question simple nodded her head in understanding, realizing that she won't be able to get her way. At least she can persuade Yuna to make some omelettes for breakfast. Hina was desperately craving some food right about now.


	2. A well deserved slumber

The scorching sun shimmered in the evening cloudless sky. The gentle breeze coming from the north provided a much needed coolness to the already hot day. Yet this was not the case for the track team currently running around the track. The glaring sun combined with the intense exercise made the students running around the track very hot. It also made their already tired bodies feel heavier as they eagerly finished the run for the day.

"Just one more lap. Make it count!" yelled Inamoto Miyu as she stood at the sidelines. She had a clipboard in one of her hands and a stopwatch in the other. The vice captain was currently keeping track of the students' progress. As each member of the track team finished their lap, she would mark the time they got next to their names on the clipboard. _Alright, it seems everybody is right on pace, except … Hina._ Miyu thought with a slight frown.

For the past few days, Hina hasn't been keeping up with her pace. The difference wasn't anything major but someone could clearly tell that something was affecting the black haired girl. Since she was so serious about running, she needed to improve her time more if she wanted to do anything major in track-and-field. As the last runners finished their final lap, Miyu put the stopwatch away and walked towards the group of runners as they attempted to catch their breaths.

"Good job everyone. Make sure to drink plenty of water so you don't get dehydrated." The members all gave out various versions of "yes" or "ok" and started walking back towards the main building. As Miyu watched them pass by, she spotted Hina towards the back of the group. She appeared to be more out of breaths than the others. This was unusual considering she was more athletic than most girls her age and could easily manage the run they had for the day. This caused the taller girl to worry over Hina since she rarely struggled in anything athletic. Miyu then decided to have a chat with the black haired girl and maybe help out with whatever she is dealing with.

"Hina! Can you come here for a second? I need to talk to you about something" The older girl said. That seemed to grab the younger girl's attention as she jogged towards her senpai. As Hina arrived, Miyu noticed that there were dark circles under her eyes which indicated a lack of sleep.

"Mhm, what is it?" Hina said as she approached Miyu. This observation caused Miyu's worry for the underclassman to increase. Throughout the entire time that Hina was apart of the track team, both Miyu and Matsuri had never seen or heard of her having sleep problems. Judging from Hina's athletic abilities, one could safely assume that she has a fairly healthy lifestyle which could include getting enough sleep at night.

" I've noticed that your current pace is slower than your usual pace. It isn't anything drastic but it has caught my attention." Miyu said in a gentle tone, making sure she didn't sound too accusing in her observation. Hina looked away a bit, clearly ashamed of having her slower time noticed. "Is there anything that may be affecting your time" As the vice president of the track team. It was her job to make sure the members were in good physical condition which meant helping them with their problems from time to time. Since Hina was a clear favorite among the members, it meant that her problem was at a higher priority compared to others.

"Well … " Hina started as she scratched her head," I have been missing out on some sleep lately." This confirmed Miyu's suspicion and caused her to quickly think of a way to solve the younger girl's problem.

"Do you know what's been causing your loss sleep?" The older girl asked worriedly. If it was stress that has been causing the lack of sleep, then it would be understandable. Final exams were coming up which meant that Hina would be focused on studying to make sure she gets a good score. Despite an obvious cause for the lack of sleep, what Hina said next somewhat surprised her.

"My bed is less comfortable than usual. I'm having trouble falling asleep because I can't get in a comfortable position," said Hina somewhat sheepishly. Meanwhile, the vice captain of the track team was taken back from the answer she got. _Really? Its that simple._ By now, she was a bit confused by black haired girl's problem. _If not getting comfortable is something that can impact her sleep, is there an actual solution_ thought Miyu as she pondered this silly predicament.

" Well … I hope you have a solution for this because I don't" This was definitely something that the third-year had little to no experience with. Whenever she helped one of other members with what's worrying them, they usually involve school related or even personal problems. But a sleeping problem caused by something so simple was unheard of for her. Hina gave a simple nod of the head, a hint of determination in her expression.

" I do have a solution" replied the short haired girl. Her solution seemed a bit absurd but in her mind, it was the only thing that could work. All she had to do was convince a special somebody to agree with it. After hearing this, Miyu let out a sigh of relief.

"If you say you have a solution, then I trust you can take care of this." Looking at the watch she wore on her right wrist, she noticed that they have been talking for some time." You should probably get going know. I believe Yuna-chan is waiting for you right about now, right?" Hina replied with a simple nod and ran off to where Yuna was waiting leaving a smiling Miyu to get back to her duties.

* * *

The sound of the door closing indicated that the two girls have arrived at Yuna's house. After Hina met up with Yuna in the place she usually waited, the two of them started walking towards the brunette's house. Both of their moms had to work late again which meant Hina could spend the night over at Yuna's. It also meant that Hina could commence her plan since the situation was just right.

The walk towards the taller girl's home was uneventful. While the younger girl was thinking about her plan, Yuna was more focused on something that has been bothering her for some time. She too has noticed the black circles underneath Hina's eyes and made the same connection that they were caused due to a lack of sleep. The last time the short haired girl got some proper sleep was that one time they slept in the same bed together. Yuna blushed at the memory but ignored it. She thought about cooking up a dish that could help her girlfriend sleep better which is why she decide to make a cheesy lasagna for dinner. The calcium in the dairy product will help Hina's brain produce sleep-triggering melatonin, a chemical found in the brain.

While Yuna was looking up information about foods that help people sleep, she came across this piece of information that seemed to do the trick. When Yuna arrived at her home, she went straight to work on dinner. After putting on her cooking apron, she got the ingredients ready to start making the lasagna.

"For dinner, I decided to make a lasagna with bits of meat inside. Is that ok with you, Hina" Yuna asked the shorter girl as she plopped down on one of the empty chairs in the kitchen. She simply gave a short "Mm" before taking out the homework she had to do that day. The next hour was filled with Yuna cooking dinner, and Hina finishing her homework before it was time to eat.

When she did manage to finish, the black haired girl decided to help Yuna since she still needed to set the table. After that, all that was left to do was take the lasagna out of the oven and serve it on two plates. As usual, the dish tasted utterly fantastic, or at least to Hina it did. The gooey cheese along with the marinara sauce made it taste incredible. It was like paradise in her mouth.

"I'm guessing you like it" said Yuna in a sort of playful tone. Hina's mouth was too full to give a proper response but the nodding of her head was enough to give the older girl an answer. Since the very beginning, the black haired girl had always enjoyed Yuna's cooking. It never failed to make the Hina smile and caused her to smile in return. Of course, her childhood friend isn't the only one to enjoy her cooking. Ano is another close friend that enjoys her scrumptious food along with track team she cooked for during the summer camp. _Hopefully this will help Hina sleep better_ thought Yuna as she put away the empty plates and began to wash them. Hina, being the helpful person that she is, helped clean the plates along with putting all the stuff away.

As they did this, Yuna decide to tell the other girl her plan to help her with her sleeping problem.

"You know, Hina, the reason I made this dish for dinner was because I hoped it would help you get some well deserved sleep." The girl in question looked up from her cleaning and let out a small smile.

"Thanks Yuna-nee, but I have a solution as well." Hina then finished her cleaning and got ready to say her plan. It was a bit embarrassing and it wasn't until now that the runner realized it was also childish. Nevertheless, she would ask her childhood friend in hopes she would agree to it. There was a light blush on her cheeks as Hina said, " I was wondering if I sleep while sitting on your lap?"

"Ehh?!" At the sudden question, Yuna dropped a cup she was putting away. She went to go pick it up only to realize that she was blushing a bright red and could feel it extend to the tips of her ears. The thought of having her girlfriend sit on her lap made her already bright blush deepen. A small part of her mind enjoyed the idea but the rest overpowered it with the embarrassment it would cause her.

After recovering from the question, Yuna, somehow, managed to sputter out, "W-why would y-you want to do that?". Hina only looked at her with a confused expression as if the answer was very clear. She too was blushing but not as bad as Yuna.

"Well, the last time I slept well was when we slept together. I assume that's why I'm having trouble sleeping since you're not there with me." The wording of the younger girl's statement didn't help with the brunette's blush even though that's exactly what they did.

"B-but … " was the only thing Yuna was able to get out before she had to cover her face with one of her hands. Seeing the other girls reaction, Hina guessed the brown haired girl didn't really enjoy the idea of having her sleep on her lap. For some reason, the younger girl felt a sense of disappointment wash over her even though she knew the request was really silly.

"If you don't want to, I can find another way " Hina said in a sort of sad tone. Hearing the tone of her voice, Yuna quickly looked back at the girl in front of her. There was a hurricane of emotions currently going on in her mind. On one hand, she could help Hina with her problem but on the other hand, it would be really embarrassing for the taller girl. _You'll like it though_ came a sudden thought from her mind. She was surprised by the statement and wondered where such a thought would come from. _You know you will enjoy holding your precious Hina in your arms, right?_ The older girl quickly shook her head trying to rid her mind of these thoughts. Unfortunately, the shorter girl misunderstood the action as a way of saying "no" which only worsened her mood. She looked at the floor while frowning a bit.

"Oh, ok" muttered Hina in a quiet voice. However, she made sure to hide her disappointment since she didn't want to pressure Yuna into agreeing jus because of the way it made her feel. She regained her usual demeanor and added ,"I understand" while wearing a fake smile. Underneath her normal complexion, however, she was scolding herself thinking such a childish would work. Yuna was more mature than her after all so it made sense that she wouldn't agree to it. This made Hina realise how much she still needs to grow up. _I'm a highschooler after all._

Upon realizing her mistake, Yuna desperately thought of something to say. She didn't like to see Hina sad and seeing the short haired girl quickly hide her true emotions made Yuna sad as well. This caused her to come up with answer

"Wait Hina!" The brunette got the attention of the girl infront of her. However, when Hina looked at her, she could feel her blush returning. "I didn't say no. If you want to sleep on m-my lap, you can." Yuna said as she looked away slightly. If she didn't looks away, the older girl would of seen Hina's face light up and a wide grin spreading on her face. The young athlete quickly enveloped Yuna in a hug to show her appreciation.

"Thanks, Yuna-nee." the thanks was a bit muffled since Hina had her face buried in Yuna's chest. The older girl felt her blush returning but this time she accepted it.

* * *

Yuna was currently sitting awkwardly on her bed upstairs in her room. Her eyes were roaming around not really knowing where to set them. Across from her was Hina who was also sitting awkwardly. After Yuna agreed to the black haired girl's request they both got ready for bed by changing into more appropriate sleepwear. Hina simply took off her track jacket leaving her gray shirt and black shorts on despite Yuna's protest. The older girl changed into a simple white shirt and some black shorts that looked somewhat identical to Hina's.

After a while of awkward silence, Hina decided to simply go for it. The black haired girl crawled towards Yuna and straddled her lap when she got close enough. Now, both their faces were inches apart which caused the brown haired girl to blush at their close proximity. The thought of capturing those soft lips suddenly popped into Yuna's mind.

The indecent though was shooed away but not before letting the brunette think about a bit. Giving into temptation, Yuna leaned in and captured the younger girl's lips in a kiss while simultaneously closing her eyes. The shorter girl did the same and eagerly returned the kiss. They stayed in that position for a bit, enjoying each others company.

After a while, they broke the kiss realizing that they needed air. Yuna was more out of breath than Hina since the athletic girl had more stamina than her. When the shorter girl regained her breath, she buried her face in Yuna's neck and immediately began to doze off while also wrapping her hands around the taller girl's neck. And in that moment, Hina could've sworn that she was more comfortable in her girlfriend's arms than in her own bed at home. It didn't take long for the younger girl to easily slip into a blissful state of slumber.

Meanwhile, Yuna decided to stay awake a bit longer and enjoy the feeling of having Hina in her arms. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around the black haired girl's waist and took a deep breath of Hina's natural scent. She always smelled fruity which was something Yuna liked about the shorter girl. It was probably a result of the deodorant she used along with the strawberry scented shampoo Hina had at home.

She could feel the younger girl"s body temperature radiate off of her petite form and combine with her own. The soft body hugging her in a firm grasp made the somewhat embarrassing position, kind of enjoyable. Yuna would be lying if she said she wasn't comfortable having Hina sleeping on her lap. She was interrupted from her thoughts when she thought she heard a noise coming from the sleeping girl.

"I love you Yuna-nee" muttered a sleeping Hina who continued to nuzzle the taller girl's neck. Yuna's previous blush returned full force making her cheeks feel very warm. The brown haired girl let out a small smile though, clearly happy to hear those four words. She lightly kissed the mop of black hair in front of her and soon began to doze off herself. The last thought she had was that Hina's sleeping problem would finally be resolved


	3. Movie Night

The normally loud halls of the school were oddly quiet as the day came to an end. The day was Friday, which meant students were eager to finish the school day and start their weekend. As the bell signaled the releasement of the students, the once quiet halls were soon filled with all sorts of activity. Numerous classroom doors were opened to allow the students to exit their class and walk towards whatever destination they were going to. One particular student was slowly trudging out of her classroom, a feeling of drowsiness weighing down on her.

Usually, one might be concerned about their sleepiness, but to Miyama Nena it was just another part of her day. The usually drowsy girl was currently making her way towards a classroom with a goal in mind. The CD in her right hand was idly swinging as she slowly made her way through the hall. While walking, Nena could hear the loud conversations of the students walking around her.

Usually, the pink haired would be annoyed at the loud noises resonating through the hall, but today she was in a fairly good mood. The noises that would of normally bothered her, were carelessly ignored. This was due to the fact that Nena managed to spent quite a bit of time napping in her classrooms. Of course, she finished the work she had for the day before spending any time in an enjoyable slumber. The reason Nena had so much time to nap was because her two friends, Ichiki Umi and Futano Sasa, were absent from school that day.

During most days, the two of them would keep her from enjoying some time sleeping mainly due to Umi's constant rambling and Sasa's overall negative attitude. This didn't mean that Nena didn't care for her friends, but ever since those two started dating, they have been more boisterous than usually. When the slim girl had her original plan to get her two friends to date, she believed they would spend some time together and leave her with some alone time.

Unfortunately, the plan caused the opposite effect and both Umi and Sasa were being harder to bear than usual. Luckily, their issue got somewhat resolved when Nena had a little talk with them. Ever since then, the pink haired girl found the awkward couple more bearable but still a bit annoying on her bad days. Today, however, was going her way since both of her friends were absent due to some sickness they caught which lead to them staying home.

She could still remember what Umi said to her over the phone that morning.

"Don't worry Nena! Sasa and I will get better before you know it and we can be together again." The energetic girl's high pitched voiced caused Nena to wince a bit at the loud noise. The quiet girl wished they would stay sick a bit longer, even if it was just for another day. She didn't mean for her statement to be cold, but sometimes, having a break from those two was something she greatly appreciated.

Currently, Nena was walking towards her other friend's, Ano Fuji, classroom. She was going to return a CD Ano lent her that was suppose to be used for her broadcasting club. However, since it was just her, the CD wasn't needed until after the weekend.

As the pink haired girl approached the classroom, she overheard a conversation taking place inside.

"A movie night would be a perfect way to spend a friday night, wouldn't it Yuna!" A cheery voice said from behind the door. Nena recognized the voice as her friend Ano who was currently talking to her other, not as close, friend Toomi Yuna. As she opened the door, she heard Yuna respond with a simple "Ok Sure."

Ano quickly turned her head at the sound of the door opening and spotted Nena walking in, her glasses almost falling off in the process. As soon as the blond haired girl saw her, her smile grew wider.

"We could invite Nena too! And you can invite Hina-chan to make this the best movie Night ever!" Ano practically screamed as she pointed out the girl who walked in. Usually, the monotonous girl would be against such a thing, but this time, she felt that declining the invitation would be a bad idea. _It wouldn't hurt to go along this one time, I suppose._ Though Nena as she approached Ano.

"Well, I guess inviting another person wouldn't hurt" The pink haired girl noticed Yuna standing a few feet away from the cheerful blonde. She raised her hand that had been holding the CD and proceeded to hand it to Ano.

"Here Ano, it's the CD you lent me" The long haired girl then proceed to grab the CD from the pink haired girl albeit a bit confused.

"Ahh, thanks but weren't you going to use this." replied Ano while scratching the back of her head in a confused gesture. The CD she lent to Nena wasn't really important so it didn't matter when she got it back. Yesterday, the slim girl had specifically searched for her to ask for the CD which meant it must of been for something important. So when Nena handed her the CD nonchalantly, she was a bit taken back.

"I was but since Umi and Sasa weren't here, it no longer was important. At least, not until Monday." The sleepy girl said. Ano then decided to put it safely away in her bag before returning to the topic at hand.

"So anyway, Nena do you want to join Yuna and me. We are planing on having a movie night over at Yuna's house. It will be fun." Ano added the last part with a thumbs up, as if proving her point about it being fun. The pink haired girl already knew she was going to say yes, but decided to tease the blond haired girl a bit.

"Sorry Ano, but I already have something planned for today. " Nena sated while faking disinterest. This seemed to do the trick. The long haired girl's smile instantly fell and was replaced by a small frown. Judging from the girl's previous excitement, it was clear to Nena that she was excited about this "movie night". She knew her little ruse was a bit mean but seeing Ano's crestfallen expression was priceless. After having a quiet laugh to herself, Nena decided that her prank had gone on for long enough.

"Just kidding, just kidding," The pink haired reassured her friend by letting out a small smile,"Sure I'll join you guys" _I have nothing better to do anyway._ Nena thought to herself shortly after. Ano responded by locking the slim girl in a tight embrace, an expression of happiness written all over her face. Nena, not expecting a hug from her friend, was taken back by the sudden action. She didn't really see Ano as the touchy-feely type of person. Of course, the two of them were close friends so an action like this could be passed as a friendly gesture if done time to time.

Right now, however, all she was concerned about was the bone crushing hug she was in.

"Geez. At least don't hug me so tightly." Ano quickly let go and looked away embarrassedly. It looked like she got a bit carried away.

"Well anyway, movie night won't happen until seven so you can stay home until then." Added Yuna who, up to this point, was silently watching the girl's interaction with slight amusement. The pink haired girl turned towards Yuna and gave a slight nod. Nena then walked off, presumably heading home or whatever she did after school when she was by herself.

* * *

Hina's house was directly next to Yuna's which meant she didn't have to walk far to arrive at her doorstep. The black haired girl was currently stepping out of her house and proceeded to walk towards the house next to her. The sun was currently setting which made the surrounding area have an orange glow. The reason why Hina was going next door was because Ano and Yuna had invited her to watch movies over at Yuna's house and to, overall, have fun. They also mentioned that Ano invited another person to their little get together. The person in question was Miyama Nena.

The two of them don't really know each other that well. They have interacted a couple of times in the past but besides knowing each other's names, both of them saw each other as acquaintances. _I wonder if we can get to know each other today._ Thought Hina with a bit of hope. Since both Yuna and Ano are already good friends with Nene, it only made sense if Hina also got to know the pink haired girl better.

As she got close to Yuna's house, Hina spotted someone walking towards her not far from where she was. Judging from the pink hair and sleepy demeanor, Hina took a guess that the girl was Nena. After taking a closer look, Hina noticed what the slim girl was wearing. She had a grey hoodie along with some loose fitting pants. The weather was still a bit cold so it made sense that Nena would wear something warm. The black haired girl, however, was just wearing some black athletic shorts and a green track jacket since the cold didn't really bother her.

Once the pink haired girl got close enough, Hina decided to initiate a conversation.

"Hello Miyama-san." said Hina in her sort of quiet voice.

"Hi. There's no need to be formal so you can call me Nena-san if you want." Being called Miyama-san by the shorter girl felt a bit odd to Nena. She knew it was to correct way for the younger girl to address her but in her opinion , it didn't really suit her. The black haired girl seemed to notice this and agreed to it.

"Ok, as long as you call me Hina-chan as well." This seemed to be fair enough for the sleepy girl who went to knock on the door in front of her.

All of a sudden, the door opened after only a second to reveal an excited Ano waiting behind it. The blonde was wearing her glasses as usual along with a pink button up atop a striped shirt. She wore some black shorts which was weird considering the temperature. Behind her, Hina could see Yuna cooking some popcorn to enjoy while watching the movies. The brown haired girl wore a white button up and a pair of khaki pants.

"Looks like you guys arrived just in time!" Nene couldn't her mood increase while in Ano's presence, if only by a bit. The pink haired girl felt that she would actually enjoy this event more than she thought. The three of them proceeded to walk inside where Yuna had put the popcorn in two separate bowl.

"Unfortunately, the heater appears to not be working at the moment, which means we will have to share two blankets I've managed to find." the brunette said apologetically, realizing she should of checked to make sure it worked before her guests arrived.

"That's fine. Me and Ano can share one while you and Hina-chan share the other." Nena said bluntly. This seemed to surprise Ano who let out a "Ehh?!" at the sudden statement. To the blonde, the action seemed innocent enough but soon felt blood rush to her cheeks at the thought of being under the same blanket as Nena.

She knew her friend would use the opportunity to tease her some more like putting her face really close to her own in a joking manner. Ano then let out a sheepish sigh, knowing tonight was going to be a long night.

It wasn't until all four of them were in Yuna's living room, that Nena took a closer look at her surroundings. The living room was a moderate size with a window on one side of the room and a flat screen tv on the wall in front of them. There was couch in the middle which looked big enough to fit four people if they tried. There was also a coffee table which was parallel to the couch. As the group of girls sat themselves on the couch, Yuna and Hina on the left while Nena and Ano sat on the right, they began to discuss which movie they should watch.

Since it was Ano's idea, she was the one who was in charge of bringing the movies. She brought a wide assortment of movies which ranged from romantic comedies to action thrillers to horror movies. They all decided to watch a romantic comedy since watching a horror film so late at night is probably a bad idea, and a majority of them didn't want to see an action movie, despite Ano's protests. Nevertheless, the long haired girl inserted the DVD in the DVD player and took her seat on the right side of the couch next to Nena.

The small table in front of the couch had the two bowls of popcorn that Yuna cooked earlier. It wasn't long before the four of them had the two blankets comfortably draped over the two pairs. The movie the group decided to watch was about a man who moved to Japan and fell in love with the translator he decided to hire. Since the movie was also a comedy, it meant that there were some funny scenarios that the man found himself in. Soon after the movie began, the room fell into a comfortable silence where the only sound was the noise of the movie playing in the background.

At this point, the sun had completely set which meant the only light was the one coming from the TV. The rest of the room had the darkness of night enveloping it. The temperature also dropped without the sun being there to warm the room, even if it was by a bit. There was the occasional hand that reached out to get popcorn, but besides that there wasn't any major activity.

Yuna, who was at the far left of the couch, found the movie somewhat boring. It did have its moments but overall, she didn't find it really funny. It wasn't until halfway through the movie that Yuna's interest in the movie lowered completely. The brown haired decided to see if the others were enjoying the movie more than she did.

Looking at the far right of the couch, Yuna saw Nena watching the movie while leaning on her right hand which was laying on the side of the couch. Taking a closer look however, she noticed that the pink haired girl was actually sleeping and not watching the movie. _I guess the movie was so boring, it caused Nena-san to fall asleep._ Yuna thought in a non-suprised way. Remembering how Nena acted before the movie started, she believed that the sleepy girl was actually trying to enjoy herself. It was a bt ironic, in Yuna's opinion.

Taking a look at Ano, what sat to the left of Nena, the brown haired girl realised that her friend was enjoying the movie so far. The blonde haired girl was currently leaning back on the couch in a laid-back position which was a bit odd for Ano. She had a small smile on her face, clearly happy that she got to spend some quality time with her close friends.

After taking a single glance at Hina, it was obvious that the younger girl was enjoying the movie as well. Her eyes were practically glued to the screen and it looked like she was paying very close attention to it. Her eyes also appeared to be sparkling in amusement which confused Yuna since the movie wasn't that amazing. However, the younger girl's habit to find most thing interesting was something that Yuna liked about Hina.

With that thought in mind, Yuna began pay closer attention to Hina's face. Her eyes were somehow draw to the black haired girl's eyes which were a beautiful shade of dark green. Compared to Yuna's dark brown eyes, Hina's eyes were more breathtaking than her own. Lowering her gaze a bit, the brunette noticed the button nose that the short girl had. Looking farther down, Yuna could see a pair of lips that looked soft to the touch. With all of these cute facial feature, it was no wonder she was so popular in her track team. The girl sitting next to her was obviously cute, even adorable at times. All these things made Yuna realize how much she actually loved the girl.

The two of them were nearly inseparable, mainly due to the fact that they were childhood friends since a very young age. They spent a majority of their time together which ended up causing their romantic feelings for each other to grow. Hina's feelings showed up first and then Yuna's after, despite the older girl feelings guilty for taking a month to give the shorter girl an answer.

After a while spent observing the black haired girl, Yuna noticed that her heart began to beat faster. She felt a blush spreading on her cheeks and also realized that there was a warm soft feeling in her chest. She also felt a sense of protectiveness as she gazed at her childhood friend. It's as if she wanted to care for the younger girl, and protect her from any harm

All of sudden, she saw Hina turn her head and look directly at Yuna. This new perspective gave the brunette a better view of those dark green eyes. Yuna felt that she was in a trance, unable to look away. This made the older girl's blush deepened a darker red. It wasn't until she heard Hina speak that she was able to regain focus.

"Yuna-nee?" the younger said in a quiet voice, not wanting to disturb the other two girls. The girl in question felt embarrassment wash over her. She was caught staring and now had to explain to Hina why she did it.

"Uhh … why don't you sit on my lap Hina. Its getting cold and I don't want you to get sick because the heater doesn't work," Yuna whispered while blushing up a storm, " it would also give Ano and Nena-san some more space to sit." It seemed like a reasonable excuse to the taller girl but in actuality it wasn't. _It's an excuse to hold cute little Hina, isn't it?_ A small part of her mind said. Yuna ignored it though, positioning herself so the black haired girl can sit comfortable on her lap. Once Hina was comfortable enough, she resumed watching the movie, fixing her gaze on the screen.

This allowed Yuna to think back on the earlier thought. Ever since the day Hina asked to sleep on her lap, she has had an increase of thoughts similar to the one she had just know. She didn't know why they started to pop up in her mind, but every time they did, she would always blush at how "affectionate" they were.

The brown haired girl was interrupted from her thoughts at the sound of the movie ending. When the ending credits appeared on the screen, Ano got up from her position on the couch and went to put on another. Checking the clock, she realised there was enough time for another movie.

"Who's up for another one?" The blonde asked her friends sitting on the couch. Hina replied with a small nod of the head while Nena just slept away. Looking at Yuna, the cheery girl noticed that the brunette had Hina on her lap and a blush on her face.

"I see you've gotten pretty comfortable, haven't you Yuna." remarked Ano teasingly as she stifled a laugh. Yuna, however, felt her blush get redder despite already being a dark red. Hina, not knowing what Ano meant, tilted her head in confusion.

As the second movie dragged on, both Yuna and Ano felt themselves begin to doze off while Hina continued to be entranced by the second movie. Eventually the brunette and blonde felt asleep leaving an awake Hina to enjoy the movie by herself. At some point, Yuna had wrapped her arms around Hina's waist, as if on instinct.

The younger girl didn't notice, but if she did, she would be blushing as well. It was at this point were Hina heard some stirring happening to the right of her. Turning her head, she saw Nena waking up only to realize that Ano was leaning on her. Thinking nothing of it, the pink haired girl wrapped her left arm over the sleeping blonde's shoulder. Not realising that Hina was awake, Nena turned her head only to see the black haired girl staring at her. To say she was surprised would be an overestimate. Because of her sleepy personality, it was more of a mild realization.

"Hina-chan? I thought would've fallen asleep by now" Nena said trying to play it off calmly, despite feeling a slight blush coming. Upon realising the position Hina was in, the slim girl started to stare in confusion. It wasn't until she remembered what Ano said a few weeks ago that she understood what was happening.

"Oh yeah … you and Yuna-san are dating. I completely forgot for a second." Nena said in a way one would say an everyday fact. Upon closer inspection, the pink haired saw how natural the two of them looked together. _I guess they really do love each other._ Nena though absentmindedly.

"What about you and Ano?" Hina said innocently. The pink haired girl was taken back by the question but didn't physically show it. It was true that the two of them were closer than most friends but the thought never escalated farther than that. As a reply, Nena gave a simple shrug and muttered "Nothing yet". The "yet" part suggested that she did have something in mind despite not knowing herself.

"Hey Hina-chan how about you keep this a secret between the both of us." Nena said hoping the younger girl would agree.

"Mm" Hina gave a simple nod of the head and resumed watching the rest of the movie. Unbeknownst to her, Nena let out a quiet sigh of relief and also continued to watched the rest of the movie.


	4. Jealousy

The sizzling of a frying pan was the only sound that filled the quiet kitchen. Its loud noise managed to drown out any other noise that may be heard. The lightbulb that hung overhead shone its light throughout the area. Despite the heat radiating off of the stove, the window located on one of the walls was closed. This caused the temperature to slowly increase in the enclosed space. The only person in the near empty room was Toomi Yuna who was currently preparing dinner for herself and for her girlfriend, Komano Hina.

The brown haired girl, having cooked for a very long time, has gotten use to the high temperature that sometimes filled the kitchen. Not only that, today was an unusually hot day for being the middle of fall. All of these factors made a light sweet appear on the Yuna's forehead. One of the reason why she didn't open the window, was because certain insects would fly inside, casing a nuisance to the cook.

As she was adding the final touches to the dish, a certain thought was occupying her mind at the moment. _Hina is late._ This thought alone caused Yuna to worry for the shorter girl's safety. Earlier that day, Hina had specifically told her that her track and field club would take longer than usual. She said Yuna could head home first since waiting for the younger girl to finish wouldn't be the best idea.

At first, Yuna thought Hina would arrive once she was almost done preparing the food. But now, 30 minutes have passed since the time Yuna originally believed the shorter girl would arrive. Shaking her head slightly, the brunette attempted to ease her worries by thinking some reassuring thoughts. _She probably went home first to drop off her things._ Thought Yuna somewhat hopefully.

The two of them were close, but that didn't mean Hina was always over at Yuna's house. The younger girl had her own home too, along with a mother who cooked food for her. The only times Hina was over was when her mom was busy with work and was unable to make it home on time to make dinner. This would usually happen about two times every week. Of course, the shorter girl would visit from nextdoor out of her own interests, mainly to hang out for a bit or to ask for help on her homework.

The sound of the door opening indicated that Hina had finally arrived, causing Yuna to let out a sigh of relief. As she prepared to set the table, the brown haired girl could hear the sound of Hina's footsteps coming from the living room. Along with that, Yuna could've sworn that she heard another set of footsteps mixed in with the younger girl's footsteps. _That's odd._ The brunette didn't recall Hina telling her that she would be bringing someone. She knew it wasn't Ano since the long haired girl was spending the night over at Nena's place. Yuna knew it wasn't any of her other friends, since they rarely visit without telling her first.

The only person left would be the first-year Maki Seina, a close friend of Hina. Yuna knew Maki from her time with the kindred spirits, Negatani Megumi and Enoki Sachi. The ghost couple, along with Yuna, helped pair the copper haired girl with Aihara Miki, one of Yuna's upperclassman. The brunette could still remember her surprise when she saw Maki beat up some students for talking negatively about Miki. The end result was a suspension that lasted a few days, but it did allow Maki to have a "special" moment with her senpai.

 _She usually asks permission to visit beforehand, though._ At this point, Yuna had no idea who Hina could've brought along with her. Deciding to find out for herself, the brown haired girl stepped into the living room, only to be surprised at what she saw.

The girl standing next to Hina was just taller than Yuna, but only by a bit. She had curly blue hair that reached down to her shoulder and she wore her school's uniform, meaning she was a student. The thing that surprised her the most, however, was the color of her skirt. The school had students wear different colored skirts that depended on their year. Red for the first years, blue for the second years, and green for the third years. The girl in front of her had a red skirt on, meaning she was a first year despite her height and size, especially around the chest area. Judging from her athletic figure, Yuna guessed that she was part of the track team, hence the reason she knew Hina.

The black rimmed glasses on her nose emphasized her light blue eyes. She had thin eyebrows and a moderately sized nose and mouth. Her cheeks were a bit round, though not enough to be noticed at first glance. Overall, she looked like an average student, expect for her hair color which appeared to be dyed. Upon noticing Yuna enter the room, the blue haired girl bowed respectively.

"Sorry for coming over unannounced!" the tall girl said a bit frantically in a normal sounding voice. When Hina also noticed Yuna enter, she began to introduce her friend.

"Yuna-nee, this is a friend from my track and field club." the black haired girl said while pointing out the girl next to her. The girl in question raised her head from her bow.

"My name is Moto Iona. Again, I'm sorry for visiting without speaking to you first." The blue haired girl added that last part while looking embarrassed. Right off the bat, Yuna saw her as a well mannered person. Though her height was still unexpected, Yuna knew they would get along just fine.

"Her parents won't be home until tomorrow, so I said she could join us for dinner and possibly stay over for the night, if it's ok with you Yuna-nee" Hina gave her an almost pleading look, which made Yuna agree almost immediately.

"Yeah that's fine, but how come you never mentioned her" Since Hina was willing to invite her over and say she could stay the night, they must of been fairly close. Since it takes the black haired girl a while to get that close to someone, Yuna was surprised she hasn't heard of Moto before.

As a response, Hina gave a look that said "I forgot" while scratching the back of her head. Moto, on the other hand, gushed at the sight of the shorter girl and proceeded to give Hina a hug while letting out an excited squeal.

"Hina-chan! You're so adorable when you make that face" Moto said happily. The black haired girl looked away in embarrassment, clearly not use to such a statement. Yuna, who had observed the scenario, felt something tick inside her head. For some reason, seeing someone else hug her girlfriend so affectionately and call her adorable made her feel a slight pang in her chest.

"Well, you two arrived just on time, I've just finished making dinner." Ignoring the odd feeling in her chest, Yuna got the attention of Moto and Hina. Both of them showed a similar face of hunger and also eagerness.

"I look forward to eating your delicious food Toomi-senpai." Moto said while unwrapping her arms around Hina. The brown haired girl, in return, was surprised at the sudden honorific. Yuna wasn't really use to people calling her senpai since she is rarely called senpai in the first place.

"Just Toomi-san is fine, Moto-san" The blue haired girl gave a simple nod before following Yuna into the kitchen, where plates were set up on the center table.

Once the two girls were seated properly, Yuna got out three plates and served the dish she cooked onto them. _Luckily, I made enough for three people. Though, I don't think Hina will be able to get seconds this time_. Yuna knew the younger girl loved to eat her cooking to a point where she would always ask for more. She didn't know how Hina would react but she knew the black haired girl wouldn't be thrilled about the unfortunate news.

Yuna then proceed to place a plate in front of Hina and Moto, whose faces lit up in excitement, along with a glass of water for each of them. She put a plate in front of a chair that was unoccupied and sat herself down. They then said similar versions of "thanks for the food" before deciding to dig in.

Hina, as always, showed her enjoyment of Yuna's cooking by simply making a face of content. Moto, on the other hand, looked like she was going to literally explode from satisfaction. Yuna didn't know how to react to the sight of Moto nearly falling out of her chair from being overjoyed.

"Woooow! This is the best thing I've ever tasted," explained Moto, her voice filled with appreciation, "How did you learn to cook so well Toomi-san."

Yuna, having gotten used to people praising her cooking, gave the same response she gave everyone else.

"I've been cooking for a long time, so the experience really helps make the food taste good." The statement wasn't meant to sound modest, but an actual fact. Yuna remembered when she first started cooking at an early age. She could barely make eggs without burning them. Now, she can make a variety of dishes that all turn out great.

"That can't be true!" Moto practically yelled while standing up,"You must be using some sort of secret ingredient in all your dishes to make them taste so good."

Yuna, not expecting such a reaction from the blue haired girl, was shocked at sudden outburst. She had never used a secret ingredient in her dishes, but to an energetic girl like Moto, it would appear that way. Judging from the tall girl's expression, it was clear she wanted an answer besides experience.

"Well, they say food tastes a whole lot better if made with love" Yuna assumed the blue haired girl would think she meant a love for cooking but she interpreted it completely different.

"Oh, I see. You mean your love for Hina-chan" Moto said while sitting back down in her chair. The response caught Yuna off guard and nearly made her choke on her food. The brunette took a sip of water from her glass to clear her throat. She tried to remain calm but she started to lose her composure mentally. _Did Hina tell her about our relationship. No, she wouldn't do something like that._ Deciding to give Hina the benefit of the doubt, Yuna decided to ask what Moto meant by her "love" for the black haired girl.

"What do you mean by "my love for Hina"?" The brown haired girl didn't feel comfortable revealing her relationship with Hina to someone she just meet, no matter how close the blue haired girl may be to her girlfriend.

"Huh?" Moto said in confusion, while tilting her head,"I meant your love for each other as sisters." At Moto's response, Yuna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. _Of course someone would confuse us as sisters. Hina calls me Yuna-nee after all._

"Oh, me and Hina aren't sisters, but we are really close." Upon hearing Yuna's explanation, the blue haired girl felt a blush apear on her cheeks out of embarrassment. She quickly apologized for the inconvenience, while Hina also got embarassed for not telling the girl sooner.

"I'm so sorry. It's just that Hina-chan always mentions you as "Yuna-nee" so I assumed you were sisters." Moto said while looking at the floor in shame. Yuna didn't want to make the girl feel like it's her fault so she decided to reassure her.

"It's fine, you just had a simple misunderstanding." The brunette said, hoping to make Moto feel better. Moto looked up, a small smile on her face. She gave out a simple "thanks" before continuing to eat her meal.

After their little mishap, Yuna decided to have a conversation with Moto in hopes of getting to know the blue haired girl better. After a bit of talking, Yuna discovered quite a bit about the energetic girl. Moto is actually a transfer student that just recently moved because of her parent's work. She joined the track team because she always excelled in anything athletic. Her cheery attitude, along with her passion for running, caught Hina's eye almost immediately.

Moto and Hina do different events in track and field which crushed Hina's dream of having a friendly rival. Nevertheless, the two of them became friends very quickly, mostly because they share a passion for running. As they spent time together, Hina began to open up to the blue haired girl more often. She especially liked to talk about Yuna. The black haired girl explained how great her cooking is and how much of a great person Yuna is in general. All of these compliments caused both Yuna and Hina to blush in embarrassment.

Eventually, after hearing so much about Yuna, Moto asked if she could go with Hina to Yuna's house that day for dinner. Hina, clearly happy to show her new friend, agreed and even offered to let the blue haired girl sleepover. At first, she declined the offer, thinking she was overstepping her boundaries, but after some convincing, she decided to go along with it.

After dinner was finished, the three of them decided it was time to sleep. Yuna checked her closet to see if she had a spare futon lying around for Moto to use. Luckily she managed to find exactly one and then proceed to hand it to the blue haired girl. When the taller girl realised there was only one, she began to get confused.

"There is only one? Where is Hina-chan going to sleep?" The question made Yuna remember something she completely forgot about Hina staying over. Whenever the younger girl would sleep at her house for the night, they would always share Yuna's bed together. Since they were childhood friends, it didn't really bother the brown haired girl, not did it seem weird. Yuna was sure her childhood friend shared these exact thoughts.

Once they started dating, however, it became much more special to Yuna, even though she doesn't like to admit it. Now, sharing a bed with Hina was something the older girl couldn't do without blushing. Of course, "those" thoughts would always pop into her mind and would be along the lines of _Admit you like being close to a sleeping Hina._ Before Yuna could say anything about the matter, Mtoto spoke up first.

"I know! Me and Hina-chan can share the futon while Toomi-san sleeps in her own bed." The way Moto said it so eagerly made the feeling Yuna had earlier return full force. Only, this time it was slight stronger. The only thing she could respond with was a confused "Ehhh?!". There was a small part of Yuna's mind that wanted herself to be the one to sleep next to Hina, but the other part of her conscious told a different message. _I'm being selfish._ The older girl said to herself. _There will be future opportunities for us to sleep together._

The sudden thought surprised her more than her previous thoughts. Not because she was looking forward to sleeping next to Hina, but because it came from her own mind this time and not the "affectionate" part of her mind. Deciding to not think on it too much, Yuna got back to the topic at hand.

As a group, the three girls decided to place the futon in Yuna's room, since it would be more convenient, if anything were to happen. The brown haired girl was hesitant about the entire thing but managed to hide it from the other two.

Once the futon was placed in the room, Yuna told Hina and Moto that it was about time for them to go to sleep. The older girl slipped into her bed, while the other two shared the futon that was designed to only hold one person. This made them struggle in finding a comfortable position for them to sleep in. As this was happening, Yuna felt the urge to look away whenever Hina and Moto got too close. When she looked at the blue haired girl's face, Yuna had a feeling that the tall girl was enjoying this a bit too much.

With that thought in mind, the odd feeling in her chest turned into a churning feeling in her stomach. The feeling wasn't pleasant at all and, in fact, made Yuna feel awful. In terms of knowing what the feeling meant, the brown haired girl was completely lost on the matter.

The brown haired girl went to turn off the lights, and quickly tried to go to sleep, but to no avail. Her mind was filled with the image of Hina and Moto being in the same futon which caused her to feel restless. It took a great amount of willpower to rid the thought from her mind, but eventually, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

The dream that Yuna had was quite peaceful and much needed. Inside the dream, the brown haired girl was sitting on a beach while the sun set over the horizon. The sunset coated the surrounding area in an orange glow and also felt comfortably warm. Yuna could see the ocean extend as far as the eye could see while the waves slowly rolled onto the beach. She felt something moving besides her and when she turned her head, she saw Hina sitting to the right of her while leaning on her right shoulder. The black haired girl was snoozing quietly, and Yuna noticed that her girlfriend was wearing a bikini, though it was hidden under a white button up that looked oddly familiar.

Taking a closer look at herself, she noticed that she too was wearing a bikini. However, this realization didn't affect the brunette as much as it should of. In fact, Yuna felt totally at ease in her dream world and felt it was real. The gentle breeze combined with the calming scenery and natural sounds of the ocean filled Yuna with a sense of absolute relaxation. In that moment, she felt all her burdens and troubles be washed away as she enjoyed the view of the ocean and the feeling of being close to Hina.

Looking at the sleeping girl next to her, Yuna thought she saw Hina start to stir. After a few seconds of slight movement, the younger girl opened her eyes, which revealed the dark green orbs that Yuna loved so much. Hina's mouth opened to say something but before anything could come out, Yuna was awoken from her dream. Her eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness. Checking her surroundings, the brown haired girl realised that she was holding her pillow in her arms in the same way she would hold Hina. Feeling a blush rise, the brown haired girl put the pillow underneath her head, the position it was originally. _You miss holding Hina, don't you._

Yuna brushed the thought away, having gotten used to them after a while. She was interrupted when she heard loud snoring coming from the other side of the room. Turning to face the disturbance, Yuna saw Hina sleeping on her back while Moto was sleeping on her side, her left arm draped over the black haired the girl. The sight caused the odd feeling in her chest to swell while also dampening her mood. She was already bothered with having her pleasant dream interrupted, but the sight of Moto being a bit too close to her girlfriend caused her to feel irritated.

She let out a heavy sigh, turning away from the scene in front of her. At that moment, Yuna didn't really like the blue haired girl. However, a part of her mind knew she was being a bit unfair since Moto didn't know of their relationship. _Its because you're jealous._ The familiar voice said in her head. Yuna, in return, was surprised at the statement.

"No. I'm not jealous of them" the brown haired girl whispered to herself. She tried to tell herself otherwise, but the small part of her mind knew she was jealous, despite not wanting to admit it. Deciding she spent enough time thinking about this, Yuna closed her eyes, hoping to get some much needed rest.

* * *

The loud ringing of the bell indicated the beginning of lunch. This meant that students had 30 minutes to enjoy their lunch and hang out with their friends before heading back to class. A certain brown haired girl was staring blankly at the board while sitting in her seat. It took her a moment to realise the bell rung but once she did, she stood up and headed for the roof. The reason why she decided to have lunch on the roof was because Hina told her that Mtoto would be joining them for lunch, along with Ano. Not wanting to see Moto be close to Hina, the brunette made the decision to head to the roof in hopes of avoiding the situation.

Before she made it out the door, however, Ano caught sight of her friend leaving.

"Yuna! Where are you going? Hina-chan and her friend are going to be here soon." said a confused Ano. Yuna, expecting something like this to happen, had already come up with an excuse.

"Sorry Ano, but I forgot that there was something I needed to take care off first." the brown haired girl hoped Ano would believe her lie. The blonde started suspiciously for a few seconds before letting out a small smile.

"Ok then. But hurry back" Yuna responded with a nod of the head before making her way to the roof. She stepped out of the classroom and walked in the direction of the stairs, hoping to get there without running into Hina and Moto. It seemed luck was on her side, since she didn't see the two o them anywhere.

Opening the entrance door , Yuna was welcomed to the sight of an empty roof. The sight caused the brunette to let out a sigh of relief, knowing she won't be seen by anyone she knows. Walking up to one of the empty benches, Yuna took out her lunch that she hid along the way. Opening it up, she began to eat it while attempting to clear her mind. The brown eyed girl looked up and realised that the sky was filled with gray clouds, indicating it was going to rain. _No wonder people aren't up here_ Yuna thought to herself.

Quietly finishing her lunch, the brown haired girl stared at the clouds, hoping they would ease her mind. When she realised there was nothing left for her to eat, Yuna closed the box her lunch came in and decided to lean against the railing, in the same manner she did when she first met the kindred spirits. She couldn't help but think about her current problem as she stared at the surrounding scenery.

Ever since last night, Yuna couldn't shake the odd feeling in her chest. When she saw Hina and Moto together this morning, the feeling grew worse. Not only that, Hina said she would be spending some time over at Moto's house so she didn't need to wait for the black haired girl to finish her club. All of these things caused Yuna to be distracted all throughout the day. She was too distracted to hear the sound of the roof opening and someone stepping onto the roof. It wasn't until Yuna heard someone calling her name that she regained focus.

"Yuna-san!" The brown haired girl turned her head at the statement and caught sight of Koba Youka, another one of her friends. The light brown haired girl ran up to her.

"What are you doing up here?" Youka said as she got close to the brown haired girl. After taking a close look at her face, Yuna realised that the rocker girl had a surprised expression, clearly surprised to find Yuna on the roof in this weather.

"Nothing in particular" the brown haired girl said, lying. She didn't want to involve Youka in her problems since this was something she could take care of herself. However, the girl standing next to her was more observant than she thought.

"No need to lie Yuna-san. I know you are up here to clear your mind, right?" Youka said matter-of-factly. Yuna, taken back by what the light brown haired girl said, stared in confusion.

"H-How did you know?" The brown haired girl said, while stuttering a bit. Youka, proud to have guessed correctly, let out a short laugh.

"I usually come up here to do the same." She said while leaning on the rail next to Yuna. This piece of information sounded a bit odd to the brown haired girl since she had never seen her friend up here before. _Of course, I've stopped going up to the roof lately._ Yuna thought to herself.

"Is that why you're here right now?" The rocker girl's mood seemed to fall because of what she said. The girl's smile was replaced by a frown and she laid her head on her arms, which were on the railing.

"Yeah. Aki and I got into a fight because of something silly." Youka said anxiously. Yuna assumed she meant Ariu Aki, the serious gate guard who was dating Youka. The couple was one of the five couples Yuna helped get together, along with Sachi and Megumi. Before she could ask what they fought about, the rocker girl beat her to it.

"Aki said she saw me with another girl and automatically assumed the worst. When I said she was jealous, she stopped talking to me entirely" Youka said a bit frantically. Her problem reminded Yuna of the problem she was facing as well.

"Have you tried apologizing?" The brown haired girl said, wanted to help Youka with her problem.

"I did! I even got on my knees and bowed but she refused to look at me." From the way the rocker girl was talking, it was clear that this was troubling her a lot. Yuna tried to think of a way to help her friend, but nothing came to mind. Eventually, Youka felt herself calm down. She then decided looked at the horizon a bit somberly.

"I guess all that's left to do is wait and see if she forgives me eventually." The light brown haired girl muttered quietly. The way she said it completely contradicted her usual attitude. It sounded sad and hopeless despite coming from a girl that was usually full of energy and passion. _This must really be bothering her. But, like Youka said, waiting is the only option left._ Yuna thought to herself. Said girl turned to face Yuna, a look of determination on her face.

"Well, if you can't help me, I might as well help you." The unexpected change of topic caught the brunette off guard. It didn't feel right to include Youka in her problems since the rocker girl had her own problems to deal with. Yet, the look on Youka's face told her she couldn't say no.

"So, Yuna-san, what has been bothering you lately?" from the sound of her voice, it appeared that her normal attitude was back. Yuna, however, looked at the gray clouds looming overhead. It felt that the weather was reflecting the way the brunette felt inside. She could feel the pang in her chest growing from just thinking about it. Eventual, she spoke up.

"Hina made a new friend recently and they appear to be fairly close. Usually I would be happy for her but lately, I've had this odd unpleasant feeling in my chest whenever I see those two together." Yuna clutched her chest as she said this, feeling the sensation grow worse. She expected Youka to react with concern, but the light brown haired girl simply laughed.

"Really? That's what is bugging you," Youka managed to say while attempting to stop laughing, "I thought it was something major but it sounds to me that you're just jealous, Yuna-san" Yuna was definitely not expecting such a reaction, but it kind of made sense given Youka's carefree attitude. The thing that surprised her the most, though, was that her jealousy was obvious enough to be noticed by the rocker girl, who is usually not good at detecting things like this.

 _I guess I do admit to being jealous._ Yuna thought to herself, feeling a slight weight being lifted from her shoulders. She still felt the unpleasant feeling in her chest, but at least she knew what it was. Yuna turned towards Youka, who appeared to stop laughing.

"Don't worry Yuna-san. It's ok to be a little selfish in a relationship." she said reassuringly. In that moment, the brown haired girl appreciated having the rocker girl as a friend. She managed to say thanks before the bell rung again, indicating that lunch was over

"Come on. Let's go back to class" Yuna said, leading the way towards the doors to the roof.

The rest of the day passed by like normal. Ano asked where she was all this time, in which the brunette responded with a "sorry" and "It took longer than expected". The issue with Moto and Hina was still on her mind, but with a clearer perspective, she was able to focus on it better. _Since I'm obviously jealous , the best thing to do would be telling Motto of my relationship with Hina and hopefully she will act more accordingly._ With a newfound determination, Yuna made it her priority to sort her problem with Moto out.

* * *

The school day came to a close, which meant the halls were soon filled with all sorts of activity. Yuna was currently making her way towards the track outside of the school, hoping to catch Moto along the way. It didn't take long to spot the blue haired girl among the crowd of students since her hair was completely different than the rest. Upon reaching the girl, Yuna noticed that she appeared to be looking for something. When Moto saw the brunette approaching, her face lit up. Before Yuna could say anything, the taller girl spoke up first.

"Toomi-san. I was just looking for you." The girl said in her energetic voice. Not expecting this, Yuna failed to react in time when Moto grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. Now thoroughly confused, the brown haired girl had no idea why Moto would want to talk to her so urgently. It wasn't until they were both inside that the blue haired girl decided to speak.

"I've heard from Hina-chan that you're good at helping people with their problems." As she said this, Moto's gaze cast down, looking at the floor while appearing to be worried about something. Her hands were fidgeting, an expression of worry written all over her face. To Yuna, it seemed very odd to see the usually energetic girl appear so worked up about something. Nevertheless, the brunette was willing to listen to Moto and help her out.

"You see, there is this person that I like but I don't know if I should tell them my feelings or not." The blue haired girl said while playing with her hands out of worry. Yuna, not expecting Moto's problem to be about love, was taken back a bit. Luckily, she had her fair share of experience in dealing with relationships from all the time spent with the kindred spirits. _This shouldn't be that difficult to sort out._ The brunette thought to herself.

"Ok. Mind telling me who it is?" If it was someone Yuna knew, it would make it so much easier to handle. However, Yuna would've never guessed the name Moto said next.

"The person I like is Hina-chan." To say Yuna was surprised, would be a heavy understatement. She was utterly flabbergassted at the statement and had to support herself on one of the desks to keep herself steady. The feeling in Yuna's chest grew 10 times worse and it took her a while to compose herself. Moto, noticing the way Yuna reacted, was confused at the sight.

"Toomi-san, a-are you alright?" The blue haired girl said, concern lacing her voice. The brown haired girl straightened herself out, making sure to hide her true emotions.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just lost my footing for a bit." In all honesty, Yuna had no idea how to solve Moto's problem. Hina was already in a relationship with Yuna so she couldn't date the blue haired girl. The thought of those two dating caused an immense jealousy spike to hit Yuna full force along with a feeling of sadness. She didn't want to think about it any longer. She also didn't want to be the person to break the bad news to Moto. The brunette figured it'd be best for Hina to tell the taller girl in person that she couldn't return her feelings. Yet, despite this, Yuna couldn't get rid of the bad feeling she had in her stomach.

"In my opinion, I think you should tell her your feelings right away. " The brown haired girl said while forcing a smile. Yuna hoped her piece of advice would help the blue haired girl, but in reality, it made things worse.

"But what if she doesn't return my feelings and ends up not wanting to be my friend any more and she would hate me and …" It was clear to Yuna that Moto was rambling at this point. The blue haired girl was distressed over the situation and needed to calm down soon.

"I'm sure Hina won't go as far as to hate you, but if she doesn't return your feelings, at least you told her in the first place, right?" This appeared to do the trick. As the blue haired girl took in Yuna's words, she began to feel better. She even had a wide smile on her face by the end of it.

"You're right! I'll go ahead and tell Hina-chan my true feelings. Thanks again, Toomi-san." yelled Moto as she ran out of the classroom, leaving Yuna to herself. Yuna, however, had a bad feeling in her mind that this wouldn't end well.

* * *

It had been a week since Yuna and Moto had their discussion. To this day, Yuna still didn't know what Hina responded with. The blue haired girl didn't show any signs of her confession turning up good or bad, either. What did change, however, was that Hina had been going over to Moto's house every day since that day. The first time Hina said she was going to spend some time over at the blue haired girl's place, Yuna thought it was normal. She wasn't fond with the idea of those two hanging out by themselves, of course, but the brunette assumed it would only be for one day.

To her unfortunate surprise, Hina would spend more than one day going to Moto's house to hang out. As the days passed, the brunette's worry and doubt grew more and more. The thought that Hina said yes to Moto's confession popped into Yuna's more times than she was willing to handle. She kept telling herself that the black haired girl isn't someone that would do something like this but, in all honesty, it was hard to predict what the shorter girl was thinking most of the time.

Currently, Yuna was in her kitchen on a friday evening preparing dinner for herself and Hina. However, she was having a hard time concentrating with all these thoughts flooding her mind. As per usual, the younger girl would come over to eat dinner on the days her mom wasn't home and go straight to Moto's house. Every time this happened, Yuna felt an empty feeling inside of her.

On numerous occasions, Yuna wanted to ask Hina about her response to Moto's confession and ask why she was spending so much time at her place. Yet every time, the brown haired girl couldn't find the courage to ask, scarred of what she might hear.

All these worries caused Yuna to falter while cooking and eventually stop entirely. There were dark circles under her eyes, indications that she lost sleep because she was worrying too much. At some point, Ano caught on to Yuna's state of mind and asked what's wrong. Yuna, not wanting to worry Ano, lied and said nothing was wrong. The long haired girl didn't believe her lie but left it at that.

All of a sudden, the brown haired girl was reminded of other times in her life where she felt like this. Her speculation that Hina might of said yes to Moto's confession reminded her of the time Hina went on a "date" with Inamoto and Amishima. She remember the way she reacted to the idea of Hina becoming the girlfriend to one of them. The way her thoughts were affecting her reminded her of the time Hina confessed to Yuna, and the long month of thinking the brown haired girl went through.

The usually composed girl tightly squeezed a rag in her left hand, the stress coming from all of this being to much to bear. Her increasing self doubt made her believe that Hina actually said yes to Moto, and that they began dating behind her back. The sudden thought filled Yuna with sorrowful bitterness and a growing dislike for Moto. _She is trying to steal Hina away from you. Are you going to allow that._ The part of her mind said. This only added fuel to the fire, since it caused Yuna to feel worse.

Of course, like big fires, it was quickly burnt out. The brown haired girl's resentfulness was soon replaced with self-destructive thoughts. She was no longer distraught at the thought of Moto and Hina dating, and instead thought it was for the best. _She can give Hina the love she deserves and not hold back her feelings, unlike me._ Yuna thought gloomily. The brunette was never good at being honest with her feelings, which was a reason it took so long to give Hina an answer. She also had a doubt in her mind that told her Hina would no longer like her if Yuna revealed her true feelings or did somethings wrong. In the past, she would dismiss the thought since it seemed very unlikely, but now her doubt was at its peak, making Yuna actually believe it.

With these thoughts running through her head, the brown haired girl believed that Moto would be a better girlfriend to Hina than she ever was. Despite admitting this, Yuna couldn't help but feel heartbroken at the thought of losing Hina. It felt as if heart was literally breaking in half, the pain being clearly felt in her chest. Yuna's eyes began to water. Tears were slowly streaming down her face, not because of pain, but because of a feeling of loss.

She was interrupted from her thoughts at the sound of her front door opening. Realizing it must be Hina, the older girl quickly wiped her face with the rag she was holding and continued to finish dinner. Yuna also made sure to hide the inner turmoil she was feeling. _I have to be supportive of Hina's decision. I'm her childhood friend after all._

As the black haired girl stepped into the kitchen, she placed her athletic bag on the floor near the chair she planned to sit on.

"Sorry if dinner is a little late Hina. I accidently made a mistake in the cooking process" Yuna lied while imitating a cheery voice. The green eyed girl gave a simple "mm" while nodding her head. Deep down, the brown haired girl knew her lie was unbelievable. She hadn't made a mistake in years, so why would she be making one now. Luckily, Hina didn't seem to notice.

Yuna got out two plates and served the food onto them. She handed one to Hina while giving one to herself, as well. Since the idea of sitting next to Hina didn't seem like a good idea in her current state of mind, Yuna decided to sit a bit farther away than usual. Almost instantly, the room was filled with an awkward silence. The only sounds that were heard where the clinking of the spoons hitting the plates. Eventually, Hina spoke up.

"Yuna-nee, are you feeling alright?" the shorter girl asked with concern. Yuna, thinkin Hina caught on to her true emotions, quickly tried to cover it up.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" The brown haired girl failed to hide the shakiness of her voice. The short haired girl started in confusion for a bit, before continuing to eat her food.

"It's just that … your food tastes different than usual." It took a moment for Yuna to understand what Hina meant. It's said that the food someone makes reflects the way they feel. Since the food tasted different, it meant that Yuna felt different when she made it. Nevertheless, the younger girl ate all her food, only this time, she didn't ask for seconds. Hina stood from her chair, getting ready to leave. The taller girl prepared herself for what the black haired girl was eventually going to say.

"I'm going to Moto-san's place again, Yuna-nee" Every time Yuna heard Hina say those words, she would always feel a sense of disappointment wash over her. This time, however, she felt something in her mind snap. Even though she told herself to be supporting in Hina's decision, she couldn't bear the thought of the black haired girl having a girlfriend that wasn't Yuna.

"NO!" The brown haired girl said loudly, quickly getting out of her seat. The chair she was sitting on nearly toppling over on the process. Her tears started flowing freely down her face again. The only thought running through her mind was _I won't let Hina leave this time._ Hina, not use to seeing such raw emotion coming from her childhood friend, was startled at the sudden outburst. She also didn't expect Yuna to run towards her and wrap her in a tight hug. At this point, tears were quickly streaming down Yuna's face, falling on the Hina's shoulder.

The brunette was clinging desperately to the black haired girl, as if her life depended on it. She felt she would lose Hina forever if she let the short haired girl go. Loud sobs were coming from the taller girl, making her entire body shake in the process.

"I m-miss you Hina … please … p-please don't leave me" Yuna was trying to keep her voice steady, though she failed miserably. Before the short haired girl could say anything, the older girl moved her face closer to Hina's, enveloping her in a kiss. Yuna's hold on the younger girl's body tightened, wanting to make the kiss last as long as possible. _It's crazy how much I've missed the taste of Hina's lips._

She let her tongue glide over the other girl's lips, asking for entrance. Permission was granted almost instantly, allowing Yuna's tongue to explore more of Hina's mouth while simultaneously deepening the kiss. It wasn't long before the need for oxygen overpowered her desire make the kiss last longer. Yuna broke away from the kiss while out of breath, her tears still running down her face.

"Stay Hina, for me. I don't want you to date Moto-san" Yuna practically pleaded. The brown haired girl knew she was being selfish. She wanted Hina all to herself and felt a sense of shame go through her mind. The feeling quickly left her mind, however, remembering what Youka told her a week ago. Hina responded with a look of confusion.

"I'm not dating Moto-san. I don't have feelings for her." The statement eased Yuna's nerves a bit, but not enough for her to feel relieved.

"Then why did you agree to share a futon with her. You could've slept with me." The older girl could still remember the day that began her jealousy. It left a bitter taste in Yuna's mouth when she mentioned it. At the mention of this, Hina looked away, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"I thought you didn't like sleeping next to me. Whenever we did sleep together, you always had a face of discomfort on." The short girl admitted timidly. Yuna could feel her self conscious facepalming at Hina's statement. _How could I be so naive._

"That's not true. I like sleeping next to you Hina. I like holding you in my arms. It's just that … I'm not very good at being honest with my feelings, especially when it comes to open displays of affection." Yuna added embarrassingly. Hina was clearly happy to hear this, a wide grin appearing on her face. However, Yuna had more to say.

"I love you Hina, with all my heart." This caused the black haired girl to return the hug, always happy to hear Yuna say she loved her. The older girl continued to hug the girl for what appeared to be a lifetime. At some point. Yunas's tears stopped flowing from her eyes. One they finally let go of each other, Yuna decided to ask Hina something that had been bugging her.

"Wait. How come you have been going to Moto's place these past days." The time Hina spent with the blue haired girl was still something that worried her. The blush on the younger girl's face grew at the mention of this.

"It was part of our plan to make you jealous, though I never intended to make you feel this bad or to think we were dating. I just wanted you to spoil me a bit." Hina said honestly. When Yuna processed this information, she gave the shorter another hug.

"Don't ever change, Hina" Yuna whispered in the short girl's ear, an expression of immense relief written on her face.

 _Don't ever change._


	5. Perfume

The bustling of the town market place was quieter than usual. The rows of stalls and buildings were usually filled with people attempting to buy the items they required for that day. Luckily, there appeared to be less people than usual which made traversing the market place a lot easier. This was especially helpful to Yuna who was currently buying necessary ingredients for dinner. In her right hand, there was a bag containing a variety of vegetables needed for tonight's dish. All that was left to buy was meat which wasn't going to take that long.

The place Yuna usually got her meat from charged more than most places. However, the quality of the produce was something that was always guaranteed to be good, which made the extra cost worth it. The quality meat along with the fresh vegetables were another key factor that made Yuna's cooking taste so good.

As she walked towards the butcher shop, a cold gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, making the brown haired girl shiver. This made her remember that winter was fast approaching which meant the temperature was going to be a lot lower. Fortunately for her, the school had all students change into their fall uniforms a few weeks ago to better fit the weather. The skirts, however, didn't really help Yuna stay warm as much as wearing pants did. Too bad she didn't have time to go home first and change into something more warm.

Once the gust of wind blew past, Yuna was reminded of another thing.

"I have to make sure Hina also wears warmer clothes so she doesn't get sick." The black haired girl had a bad habit of forgetting to take care of herself when she gets caught up in her track club. This made it Yuna's job to ensure the younger girl didn't do anything too reckless during these times. While the topic of Hina was on her mind, Yuna thought back to the events that happened a week and a half ago.

The jealousy she felt and the moment the two of them had was something Yuna would never forget. The events were still fresh in her mind, but they didn't bother her anymore. Shortly after that day, things had returned to normal. Moto was still good friends with Hina ,and she agreed to get over her feelings and act more accordingly. Still, Yuna felt a little bad for making someone get over their feelings for someone, but Moto reassured her by saying she would have many future opportunities to find love.

Once she reached the butcher shop, the brunette opened the front door, hearing a small bell above her. The woman who ran the shop was standing behind a counter that also acted as a display which showed the various meat products. Different kinds of beef, pork, and chicken products were lined up along the display with ice below them to help preserve the meats.

The building she was in was quite small. There was a small table in one of the corners which also contained a metallic chair. The two pieces never did have a purpose besides being a place for someone to sit in. All along the wall, there were advertisements which were about small businesses or people trying to sell furniture they no longer needed.

When the woman behind the counter heard the bell chime, she turned and immediately recognized the girl who walked in.

"Hey Yuna! Coming in to buy meat I guess." She said in a gruff voice. The woman who ran the butcher shop was well acquainted with Yuna since she stopped by frequently to buy ingredients. They got to know each other over the years and the woman had even given Yuna some cooking advice from time to time. Since she worked at a butchery, the woman in front of her had a muscular build. Her hair was in a small ponytail with a hairnet covering it up. She had mostly black hair though the small strands of grey were an indication that her old age was catching up to her. Despite this, she was still strong enough to cut up even the toughest of meats.

Another thing to note about the woman, was that she was very quick to call someone by their first name with no honorific. It was just another quirk that added to her personality.

"That's right. I'll just be getting a kilogram of beef for today." The woman nodded in understanding and got a bag to put the meat in. Overall the black haired woman was a fairly nice person. She always had a smile on her face and her brown eyes were always gentle looking. Once she handed the bag of meat to the brown haired girl, Yuna paid for the produce and exited the store. The meat by itself cost about 680 yen (about 6 american dollars) which didn't seem like a lot but added up if one got a lot of meat.

 _Now that I have everything, I should start heading home._ Yuna thought to herself. As the brown haired girl was thinking on what to make for dinner, she noticed a cosmetic store on her right. At first, she stared in confusion since she didn't recall there ever being a cosmetics store in the market place. However, she soon remembered that the store was one of the few new buildings that were add a few weeks ago. Looking at the sign above the store, she realized that the store was call "A New You". _An odd name_ she thought quizzically.

Checking the time on a nearby clock, Yuna noticed that there was still a few minutes left before she was expected home.

"Well, there's no harm in checking it out for a while, I suppose" As the brown haired girl entered the store, she was immediately hit with the strong fragrance of perfumes. This, combined with the bright lights and colors, slight dazed the girl as she entered the store. Once her eyes regained focus, she looked around at the many beauty products around her. There were a wide assortments of lipsticks, eyeliner, makeup, and other products Yuna couldn't name. There were also some women who were browsing the products, probably having better experience in using them than Yuna.

The brunette had never been someone who used cosmetics often. She rarely put on any makeup or lipstick for that matter. The only times she did put on cosmetics were for special events like that one New year's party she was invited to a year ago. Besides that, Yuna didn't really have a use for things like makeup. Looking at the building itself, the brown haired girl realized that it was slightly bigger than the butcher shop she was just at. The walls were lined with pictures of models showing off several products and had examples of several cosmetic related magazines.

There were several glass displays which showed some of the more expensive products. The one thing that did catch Yuna's eye, however, was assortment of perfume bottles on one side of the store. Walking over to the displays, she noticed a heart shaped perfume bottle filled with a pinkish liquid. The brown haired girl had never been a big fan of perfume. She remembered one time where Ano made her put some on but it just irritated her nose.

Looking at the other bottles, Yuna realized that they were quite expensive. The containers that held the perfume came in various shapes, sizes, and colors. But out of all of them, the heart shaped bottle was the one that stood out the most. Looking at the price tag, she found out that it was reasonably affordable. Before she had a single thought about buying it, an employee came over to her.

"Hello. May I help you with anything today?" The sudden voice combined with the fact that she didn't see the employee approach startled Yuna a bit. Turning around, the brown haired girl saw a woman wearing a working uniform standing next to her with a polite smile on her face. She was the same height as Yuna and had short black hair that reached down to her shoulder.

"No that's fine. I'm actually just looking around" Yuna said kindly, though her eyes were still drawn to the heart shaped bottle as she said this. Upon realizing where her eyes landed, the employe figured Yuna wanted to buy the perfume.

"I see that you've noticed the heart-shaped perfume bottle there. It's a very popular item, especially for girls in a relationship." The word "relationship" caught the brunette off guard. She couldn't really comprehend how a bottle of perfume could be popular for people who are dating. Luckily, she didn't have to do much guessing since the employe decided to explain it a bit more.

"If you spray some of this on yourself, it will make your boyfriend hug you and never let go." The employe said with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"B-boyfriend!?" Yuna managed to stammer out.

At the mention of the word "boyfriend", Yuna started to feel a blush appearing on her cheeks. She didn't have a boyfriend but she was dating Hina, which technically made her a girlfriend. Realizing that she managed to fluster the brown haired girl, the woman decided to toy with her.

"Yes boyfriend. You look like a girl that would make a perfect girlfriend for a lucky guy." The black haired woman said, clearly amused at the way Yuna was reacting. Meanwhile, the brunette was dealing with the small part of her brain that was suggesting to buy it. _You know you want to. Just think of all the opportunities you'll have to hold Hina._ The thought caused Yuna's blush to deepen, but in the end she gave into temptation.

"Ok. I'll buy it." She said a bit embarrassingly. The employee's smirk grew when she heard this and went to a nearby register to bag the item. Once Yuna had finished paying for it, she was handed the bag and proceeded to walk out of the store, hoping to not spend any

time longer than she already had. Before she made it out the door, she heard the employe say one last thing.

"Goodbye. I'm sure you will enjoy your experience with the product very much." Luckily the cold winter air managed to cool down Yuna's warm cheeks.

* * *

As soon as Yuna got home, she put the bag on a nearby table and proceeded to take the bottle out. Though, there was something she couldn't quite understand. She remembered what the employe said about the perfume. She said "it will make your boyfriend hug you and never let go".

"How can perfume make someone act in such a manner" The idea of Hina hugging her tightly all because of the way she smelled seemed like a ridiculous thought, though the small part of her mind disagreed. Taking the cap off of bottle, Yuna decided to spray a small amount on her wrist to see how it smelled. When she lifted her wrist up to her nose, she immediately caught the scent of something very pleasent.

As the smell wafted through her nose, Yuna connected the scent to a sweater version of strawberries. Her connection made the brunette realize that the scent was very similar to Hina's natural scent. The sudden realization caused a small smile appear on Yuna's face, since the perfume reminded her of her girlfriend.

 _Now you have another reason to enjoy it._ The small part of her mind said. Nevertheless, Yuna sprayed some more perfume along the regions of her neck, deciding that spraying it everywhere would be a bad idea. Despite this, she still wasn't sure if the perfume would actually work and do what the employe said it did. She also didn't know if it would affect Hina since she's a girl, if it did end up working

"I guess i'll wait and see." And with that, she began to make dinner, knowing Hina would arrive soon. Unbeknownst to her, however, Hina was already outside which was show by the door suddenly opening.

Yuna, not knowing the black haired girl was going to arrive so soon, was surprised to see Hina step into the kitchen suddenly.

"Hey, Yuna-nee" she said as she plopped down on a nearby chair.

"Hi Hina. Didn't you say you were staying after school because of your track club." Yuna said, a little confused. She assumed something must of happened since the younger girl never skipped a day of track and field.

"It suddenly got very cold so we were told to go home early" she said sounding a bit disappointed. Yuna knew Hina enjoyed running and would of probably continued running despite the cold temperature, if it weren't for the captains telling them to go home early. Now that the brunette got a closer look at the short haired girl, she realized that Hina was shivering a bit. The walk to Yuna's house must of made the girl quite cold.

The track jacket she was currently wearing didn't do much in terms of keeping her warm either. Yuna, not wanting the black haired girl to get sick, went to a nearby closet and got a small blanket she had since she was a child.

"Here Hina. This should warm you up." Yuna said as she draped the blanket over the younger girl's shoulders. As she did this, the brunette realised that Hina's track jacket was very cold which was probably a reason for her current state.

"You should also take off your jacket since it will only make you colder." The black haired girl gave simple "Mm" while nodding her head in understanding. She was always grateful for the way Yuna always took care of her, but felt she never got to show it.

"Thanks Yuna-nee" Hina said while smiling, which caused Yuna to smile in return. The black haired girl then proceeded to take off her jacket while Yuna continued to prepare dinner. It wasn't long before both girls fell into a comfortable silence. The brown haired girl was busy cooking while Hina just sat there and observed the older girl cook. The process was almost mesmerising but there was something different that the black haired girl noticed.

Earlier when Yuna gave her the blanket, Hina thought she smelled a pleasant smell coming off of the older girl. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, but after scooting a bit closer to the taller girl, Hina could smell the scent clearly. However, the smell of the food Yuna was preparing ended up overpowering the pleasant scent she was smelling.

Wanting to catch a whiff of the scent again, Hina got up from her chair and walked towards Yuna. When the younger girl got close she was able to distinguish the smell from the brunette's natural scent. As the smell wafted through her nose, Hina felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest. Her eyes felt heavy and she felt a fog beginning to cloud her mind. The only thought she had was that she wanted more.

Meanwhile, Yuna was too distracted making dinner that she practically jumped when she felt a pair of arms circle her waist. She was also surprised to feel Hina bury her face in her clothing, a huge smile on her face.

"H-Hina!? What are you d-doing all of a sudden." The brown haired girl said, failing to keep her composure. Hina simply let out a content sigh, happy to be near the source of the pleasant smell.

"You smell nice, Yuna-nee." The comment form the younger girl made Yuna blush. The sudden closeness also didn't help her current situation. It wasn't until the small part of her mind spoke up that she managed to figure out why Hina was acting like this. _See, the perfume worked._

Yuna looked down, seeing Hina hugging her tightly, clearly not wanting to let go. In their current position, the brown haired girl would of happily returned the embrace, but she still needed to finish cooking dinner.

"Uhh … Hina, can you please let go. I still haven't finished making dinner yet." The younger girl responded by shaking her head in disapproval, and instead tightened her hold on Yuna. The action caused the brunette to feel slightly bad for making Hina stop hugging her. She also believed it would be too mean if she tried to pry off Hina's arms by force. _Not that I could. Hina has always been a lot stronger than me._ Yuna thought to herself.

"Hina, please. If you don't let go I can't finish cooking." The brown haired girl said almost pleadingly. This seemed to work, since the hold on her waist loosened until she was finally freed from Hina's grasp. The shorter girl averted her eyes, feeling ashamed for getting too carried away.

"I'm sorry Yuna-nee'" She said apologetically. After taking a look at Hina's saddened expression, Yuna felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. The brown haired girl decided to reassure the girl, not wanting to make the younger girl sad.

"How about I make your favorite dish to make it up to you." Yuna could see Hina's expression already improve at her statement. The black haired girl returned to her seat, a look of eagerness on her face. The brown haired girl turned back towards the counter, preparing the ingredients required to make the dish. It was a god things she didn't get too far on her original dish, which meant ingredients won't get wasted. The room then fell into another comfortable silence, the sound of vegetables being chopped filling the air.

* * *

The harsh sound of wood against tile interrupted the quiet atmosphere. Yuna had just finished her plate of food and was currently getting out of her chair to put the empty plate in the sink. Usually she would wash the dirty plates right away with the help of Hina, but today, she didn't really feel up to to the task. Instead, she put the plate in the sink uncleaned, deciding to clean it later. After that, Yuna decided to walk to the living room in hopes of relaxing a bit.

"When you are done eating, just put your plate in the sink, Hina. I'll wash them later." Yuna said over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen. The short haired girl nodded her head and continued to finish her meal.

As the older girl entered the living room, she went straight for the coach. Grabbing a cooking magazine from the coffee table, Yuna laid down on the couch and began reading. The magazine she was reading was one of the many magazines she had about food and food related topics. A good majority of them had helpful advice that improved the brown haired girl's cooking.

However, Yuna was unable to properly read the magazine since a certain thought was distracting her. _I wonder if Hina will try to hug me again._ The brunette was still surprised that the perfume ended up working. However, the employee at the cosmetics store didn't mention how long the effect lasted, so Yuna was still a bit skeptical. Taking a slight intake of air, the taller girl realised that the smell of the perfume was still on her, especial along her neck.

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted her thinking which made Yuna look up from her magazine. The older girl saw Hina standing besides her, a deep blush on her face. Before the brown haired girl could say anything, Hina straddled Yuna's waist. She then proceeded to bury her face in the older girl's neck while taking a deep breath of the smell still lingering on Yuna, her arms wrapping themselves around her body like before. Just like the younger girl, the brunette had a deep blush appear on her cheeks.

The older girl assumed Hina was trying to find where the scent was at its strongest, which explained their current position.

"Hina are you feeling ok?" Yuna said worryingly. She was slightly concerned that the perfume was having too much of an affect on the younger girl. Hina responded by nuzzling her neck, a simple "yeah" muttered quietly by the black haired girl. Knowing she won't let go this time, Yuna decided to get comfortable herself and wrapped her arms around Hina in return.

The two of them stayed like that for a while longer, enjoying each other's presence. However, the brunette still had something to check first.

"Hina, not to be accusing or anything, but why are you doing this so suddenly?" At Yuna's question, the short haired girl lifted herself up and faced her directly. This allowed the brown haired girl to have a better look at Hina. Her eyes were half lidded and her pupils were dilated. Despite this, she could still see the familiar glint in Hina's eyes which meant she was doing this out of her own accord, but with more courage than usual.

"You're warm and smell nice Yuna-nee. This is the way I show my appreciation for all that you've done for me." The honest statement caused Yuna's heart to skip a beat. It was rare for Hina to express her emotions so passionately. Whenever she did, however, it never failed to make her heart pound faster. The black haired girl returned to her original position and began to doze off slightly due to how comfortable she was. Yuna, liking the idea of a small nap, followed along and began to doze off as well. After a while, the only sounds in the room were the quiet breathing of the couple sleeping away.


	6. A mother always knows

The full moon in the sky illuminated the dark streets of the neighborhood. Accompanied by the row of lampposts that lined the street, the darkness of night wasn't a problem for any person walking by. Though, there were barely any people still out and about given the current time. At this hour, most people would've already gotten home from work or be in bed for those that sleep early. However, there was still someone who has yet to reach their home.

Walking under one of the lamppost, the woman was slowly trudging home, her bag on her right. The woman in particular was Yuna's mom, Toomi Mia. Just like her daughter, she had brown hair that was only a shade lighter. However, her hair was freely flowing down her back, unlike the ponytail that Yuna usually wore. It reached just below her shoulder and had a strand or two of grey hair, though she got upset whenever someone pointed it out.

Her eyes were hazel in color instead of the dark brown that her daughter had. Her face was similar to Yuna's but it was more aged. While they shared similarities in appearance, their personalities were completely different. Her daughter was well tempered and was overall a kind helpful person. Mia, however, was a bit more mischievous and playful than Yuna though she was still light hearted. She turned serious when working in her occupation as a nurse and could easily be stern if needed.

She was currently wearing her nurse scrubs which was the reason she was coming home so late. Mia let out a heavy sigh, the exhaustion from a full day of work, finally taking a toll on her.

"Another long day at work." She said tiredly, reaching the the house she called home. Taking the keys out of her bag, she opened the front door and proceed to taker her work shoes off while putting her bag on a nearby table. The older woman walked into the kitchen, in hopes of quenching the thirst from all the talking she did at her job. Upon entering the kitchen, she noticed that there were dirty plates in the sink.

 _Odd. Yuna usually cleans the dishes after she is finished eating._ Deciding to think nothing of it, the brown haired woman walked up to the fridge. Opening the fridge, Mia spotted a bottle of iced coffee that she bought yesterday. Feeling relieved, the brown haired woman grabbed the bottle from the fridge and popped the cap off.

She took a big swig of the caffeinated beverage and enjoyed the sweet taste of the cool liquid going down her throat. Mia immediately felt refreshed and had a small spike of energy. The new energy was going to make sleeping difficult which didn't help her bad habit of waking up late. Luckily, Yuna was kind enough to wake her mother up every morning before going to school.

Deciding to enjoy the rest of her iced coffee in the living room, the brown haired woman walked into the room only to be surprised at the sight before her.

"Oh my, what's this?" She said slightly amused, a smirk appearing on her face. There, lying on the center couch, was her daughter sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. The thing that surprised her, however, was the equally sleeping figure of Hina lying on top of Yuna, who had her arms wrapped around the black haired girl and vice versa.

Hina's head was placed in the nook of her daughter's neck which, if the older girl was a boy, would of looked like a loving gesture a couple would make. Except, to a simple onlooker, it looked like two close friends showing how close they were. Mia, however, knew better and understood why they were doing this.

 _Yuna thought she was being clever in hiding her relationship._ In actuality, the brown haired woman knew of her daughter's love for the short haired girl for a long time. She first noticed the blush that appeared on Yuna's face whenever she mentioned Hina. Then it was the month of unnatural behavior her daughter went through which suddenly ended. This caused Mia to speculate that Yuna had feelings for her childhood friend but she wasn't 100 percent sure.

It wasn't until she noticed the subtle gestures that came afterwards that she understood what was happening. Hina acted more "friendlier" towards the brown haired girl and would come over more times than usual. It was also hard to miss the wide smile that occasionally appeared whenever she was in a good mood and next to Yuna.

Her daughter also showed subtle hints that she loved Hina more than a friend though she did a better job than the younger girl at hiding them. On rare occasions, she would let her act slip like it did today. Every time she saw one of these instances, she wouldn't mention it to her daughter.

 _But why would she hide it from me? Was she worried I would disapprove of her relationship?_ In fact, Mia couldn't care less that her daughter was dating another girl. It made her happy to see Yuna fall in love with someone that loved her right back. She was also glad it was Hina who became the special someone in the brown haired girl's life since Mia always thought the two of them looked cute together. However, it was clear that her daughter still didn't fully understand this, hence her attempt at hiding their relationship.

With that thought in mind, the brown haired woman took out her phone and took a picture of the sleeping couple in front of her. She then noticed Yuna stir in her sleep which indicated she was waking up at the sudden noise and flash. Mia decided to play the role of "disapproving mother" to help Yuna get a better understanding of what she might encounter in the future if she continued her relationship with Hina. She crossed her arms while faking a stern expression.

 _This should be interesting._

* * *

As Yuna slowly woke up from her slumber, she noticed a weight on her. Opening her eyes revealed the sight of a sleeping Hina laying on top of her. The brown haired girl let out a small giggle, though it was interrupted by a cough to her left.

Turning her head, Yuna saw her mother looming next to her, a neutral yet stern expression on her face. The brown haired girl could feel her heart sink and her eyes go wide. _Oh no._

"Mind telling me what you're doing, Yuna?" Her voice was leveled, though it sounded a bit cross. She could feel the intense stare of her mother's eyes on her. Yuna knew there was no way to get out of this without telling the truth. Looking at a nearby clock, the brown haired girl saw that it was quite late, which explained her mom's appearance. _I just didn't want her to find out like this._

Her plan was to tell her mother after New Years and hopefully she would approve. Unfortunately, it seemed her plan went straight out the window.

"Mom. Hina and I are dating even though we are both girls. We love each other more than just friends" Yuna said trying to sound confident, even though her anxieties of being in a relationship with Hina were starting to weigh down on her heavily. The stress of what her mother might say about their relationship was one of the key worries that plagued her mind during the long month after Hina's confession.

"You do realize that I won't approve of this, correct?" Her expression stayed the same as she said this which went unnoticed by Yuna. Currently, there was a series of emotions raging inside the brown haired girl. She could feel her heart ache and her eyes begin to water as she stared in utter disbelief. The worst assumption that her mother would think negatively of her love for Hina was now a reality. The realization was soul crushing.

"But … " It was the only thing Yuna managed to say without letting her voice waver too much. _All that we have. All that we've grown as couple. Gone_ She was interrupted from her thoughts at the sound of her mother speaking.

"At least tell me why you decided to do this." The unexpected statement surprised the brown haired girl. If she was going to have any chance in changing her mother's mind, she would have to tell her the truth. Looking at the sleeping figure on top of her, Yuna let a somber smile appear on her face. It took a while for her to steady her emotions, but once she did, she starting speaking.

"After my school's festival, Hina confessed to me, but I was unable to give her an answer at that moment. Before that, I've been having strange feelings whenever she was around. " Her tone of voice was melancholy, as if lost in thought.

"At first I didn't understand my feelings. I knew she loved me, but did I love her back?" As Yuna continued, she stroked the younger girl's hair, while her other hand cupped her cheek.

"I was filled with stress, worry, and indecisiveness. All that pressure caused me to falter in my studies and I ended up worrying my friends. Yet, despite this, I kept my problems to myself." She took a closer look at Hina's face. It was peaceful looking, clearly unaware of what was happening around her.

"And Hina," she could feel her voice crack, the emotions she was trying to suppress surfacing again. Yuna took a moment to regain her composure," she was patiently waiting for my answer. She told me she didn't care if I returned her feelings or not, as long as she got her message across.

The brown haired girl tightened her hold on the sleeping girl.

"But in the end .. in the end, after I got rid of all my worries. After I got rid of the thoughts fogging my mind, I found something special." She let out a smile. A type of smile one would have if they thought back to a pleasant memory.

"Deep in my heart, I found love for Hina. A feeling that wanted me to be with her as more than just friends." Yuna thought back to the day she gave Hina her answer. The feeling of having an immense weight lifted off her shoulder and the black haired girl jumping into her arms. As soon as she finished explaining, she gazed back at her mother, who had a sympathetic look on her face.

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way," she said with a smile. Yuna, not expecting that response, was taken back. She was confused at the complete turn of atmosphere her mother was displaying. _She went from being disapproving to being glad in an instant._

"What do you mean?" The brown haired girl couldn't think of a reason for her mother's sudden behavior. In the past, there were instances where her mother would tease her about her closeness to Hina, but it stopped after she entered middle school.

"I was trying to show you that there will be people who will not view your relationship with another girl kindly. They will say it's wrong and you must remember to not let their hateful words get to you." Her words brought immense relief to Yuna. Her mother began walking away towards the stairs, presumably to catch some much needed sleep.

"So does that mean you're ok with this." the brown haired girl asked, a bit of hope in her voice. The brown haired woman looked over her shoulder, a teasing smile on her lips.

"As long as you don't get too comfortable." The suggestive comment made Yuna blush. It wasn't until her mother was no longer visible at the top of the stairs that she decided to wake Hina up. She called her name while slightly shaking the black haired girl. It took a while, but the younger girl finally opened her eyes, a confused "Mm" escaping her lips.

"Come on Hina, I don't want you getting sick by sleeping out here." the brown haired girl proceeded to lead Hina towards her room, while the latter sighed a simple "Ok".

* * *

It was the day after, Yuna and her mom were cleaning the plates after finishing dinner together. The sound of the sink running was the only noise in the quiet kitchen. Yuna's mom was humming a song to herself while simultaneously washing the dishes. The brown haired woman was allowed to get off work early which meant she could spend some time with her daughter. They were currently standing side by side, both of them feeling comfortable cleaning in silence. However, there was a slightly worried expression on Yuna's face.

All throughout the day, the brown haired girl had been worried over Hina for one main reason. The black haired girl ended up getting sick from yesterday's events and ended up catching a cold. She was informed by Hina's mother that the younger girl woke up with a stuffy nose and a small fever in the morning. This meant that she couldn't go to school and ended up staying home due to sickness. Because it meant missing a day of track and field, the short haired girl attempted to hide her sickness but was heavily convinced by her mom, and Yuna for that matter, to stay home and rest.

This made the younger girl unhappy and also made the brown haired girl very reluctant to leave her girlfriend in a gloomy state. Hina's mom stayed with her for a bit but had to go to work soon. She was willing to stay home and take care of her daughter but the black haired girl told her that working was more important.

Yuna ended up spending most of her time at school thinking of several remedies to help cure Hina's sickness. She thought about making some porridge to not only feed her but to help with the cold as well. The black haired girl also needed to take a bath which would leave her feeling refreshed. However, given her current state, it would be a bit difficult for Hina to bathe herself.

 _Maybe you can lend a hand._ The small part of her mind said. Yuna ignored it, knowing it was something the younger girl could manage. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from blushing at the thought of wiping Hina's unclothed body with her own hands.

Yuna was planning on going directly to the neighboring house as soon as she got home, hoping to spend as much time taking care of the short haired girl as possible. But when she saw her mom preparing dinner in the kitchen, she knew she had to help out.

"That's the last of them" she said as she finished cleaning and drying the last plate. Yuna took off her apron and got ready to head over to Hina's house. She put a metal thermos filled with hot porridge into a bag that already contained items like water and medicine for the cold. Her intention was not lost on Mia, who watched in amusement.

"I'm guessing you're going next door to nurse Hina back to health" The brown haired woman remembered the slightly disappointed look Yuna had when she saw her. It was quickly replaced, though, and instead turned into a smile as she helped her prepare dinner. _She needs to be more honest with her feelings but her nice personality won't let her._

"Yes." Yuna said cheerfully. It was obvious to the older woman that her daughter deeply cared for Hina. Them being together for their entire lives was proof of this. As the brown haired girl prepared to head out, she heard her mom say one last thing.

"You really love her, don't you?" Of course, both of them knew the answer already. Yuna stopped for a bit, happy at the way things turned out. She muttered a simple "I do" before stepping out the door.

Upon reaching the house of Hina, Yuna quickly made her way to the upstairs bedroom that contained the sick girl. When she opened the door, she saw the sleeping figure of Hina sleeping on her bed, a wet rag placed on her forehead to keep her fever down. At the sound of the door closing, the black haired girl opened her eyes and saw Yuna sit on the edge of her bed.

"Feeling better, Hina?" she said caringly, while taking the rag off to feel her temperature. Her fever was still high but was lower than it was in the morning.

"A little bit." muttered the short haired girl, her voice a little hoarse from all the coughing. Yuna took the thermos out of the bag and poured some porridge into the lid which worked as a makeshift bowl. She took out a spoon from her bag as well, and scoped a decent sized amount. Blowing on it to ensure it's not too hot, she direcected the spoon towards Hina, who gladly opened her mouth to accept the tasty dish.

"Does it taste good? I don't usually make porridge so I didn't know it it would come out right." It was true that she was an excellent cook, but even she couldn't perfect a dish she rarely cooked. Though to Hina, everything Yuna made always tasted amazing.

"Mhm" With a nod of her head, the black haired girl eased her worries. The brown haired girl handed the porridge to her while getting some medicine out of her bag. Hina eagerly took it and continued eating the dish, nearly burning her tongue in the process.

"Be careful, it's hot." The younger girl slowed down a bit, finishing the dish in a couple of minutes. After she was done, Yuna powered some of the liquid medicine into a different spoon while taking the empty lid from Hina.

"Here. This medicine should make you feel better in no time." She put it in front of the sick girl's mouth but instead of opening her mouth, the younger girl turned her head to avoid the spoon. The action reminded Yuna of a sick child, stubbornly refusing to take their medicine. Though, she couldn't blame her.

The medicine was a nauseating dark color and had an unpleasant smell. Usually, she would get the cherry flavored one she got whenever Hina was sick as a child. Since she was a high schooler now, it meant she would have to take medicine that was more suited for people her age.

"Hina, you know you have to take your medicine if you want to get better soon. You wouldn't want to miss another day of your track club, would you?" The younger girl looked back at Yuna, a displeased look on her face. Eventually, she opened her mouth and allowed the older girl to slip the spoon full of medicine

The horrid taste made Hina physically recoil, but through sheer willpower, she managed to swallow the awful tasting liquid. Yuna felt a bit bad for making her go through the experience of tasting the medicine, but it was for her own good.

"Good girl." she said while patting Hina's head. The comment made the younger girl blush while laying back down on her bed. She closed her eyes in an attempt to get some more rest so she could recover quicker. Once it appeared she was asleep, Yuna stood up and made her way towards the door. Before she took a single step, the brown haired girl felt a hand grab her wrist.

Turning around, she saw the open eyes of Hina, a worried expression on her face.

"You're leaving already?" The way she said it sounded as if she was sad Yuna was leaving so soon. The fact that her voice sounded weaker than usual made the action have a greater effect on the brown haired girl. This made Yuna's heart flutter, happy that the short haired girl wanted her to stay as much as she did.

She kneeled on the floor, getting eye level with the sick girl. Giving Hina a quick kiss on the forehead, she cupped her cheek with her hand, a gentle look evident in her eyes

"I'll be with you all day. Don't worry." She said quietly. Her words made the younger girl happy which was shown when she leaned her face into her hands. Yuna gave her another kiss, but this time it was on the cheek she wasn't holding. Both of them blushed a light red but said nothing, their silence speaking for itself.

Eventually, she let go of her hold of the short haired girl, makeing her way towards the bathroom, her original destination. As she did this, Hina laid her head on her pillow, getting some sleep for real this time. The wide smile on her face reflecting the mood she was feeling. A part of her didn't mind if she was sick for a day longer, if it meant Yuna would take care of her more.


	7. New years Party (Part one)

The cold winter air had finally set in. Its freezing temperatures meant everybody was dressed to battle against the cold. It also meant winter break was starting for those in school. It was currently the last day of school which made a lot of students very eager to get home and start off their two weeks of break. Yuna was standing just outside the main building, waiting for Hina to arrive so they could walk home together. The brown haired girl was wearing her winter uniform along with a scarf she had wrapped around her neck. It kept her fairly warm and was soft to the touch which made it comfortable to wear.

There was also another person waiting with her. Ano was standing next to her, currently on her phone texting one of her friends. The long haired girl had a scarf wrapped around herself as well but it was a different color than her friend's. She also wore a jacket that had fur in the inside on top of her uniform, since she wasn't that good in dealing with the cold. Earlier that day, Ano asked Yuna if she could walk with them, saying she had something special to say to the two of them. She would drop hints all throughout the day about it being something big and exciting. To be honest, the brunette was somewhat anxious about what it might be.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar head of black hair walking towards her. The short haired girl was wearing what she wore everyday but her usual track jacket was replaced by one that was more bulkier and effective in keeping her warm. She was still wearing her black shorts, no matter how times Yuna insisted she wore something more fit for the weather. The track and field bag she usually carried was nowhere to be seen though. _I guess she no longer needs it for the time being_ , she thought as she saw Hina approaching.

"Ready to go Hina?" She said as soon as soon as the younger girl was close enough. She received a simple nod of the head in response and turned her attention to Ano, who was still on her phone.

"Ano come on, we're leaving." The blonde haired girl put her phone away after a while and proceed to follow her two friends. The three of them made their way to Yuna's house, the trip being somewhat uneventful. As they were walking, the brown haired girl noticed Hina was shivering a bit, though she made her best attempt to hide it. Before she could say anything to her, Yuna heard Ano say something in her ear.

"You should give her your scarf," she whispered after seeing her glance towards the shorter girl. The brown eyed girl took a moment to consider it, before unwinding the piece of wool from around her neck. Once all of it was completely off, she handed it over to Hina who was surprised to receive it.

"Aren't you going to be cold Yuna-nee?" she asked in confusion. Yuna shook her head in reassurance, saying it was fine for her to wear it instead of herself. Nevertheless, the black haired girl wasted no time in wrapping the fabric around her neck, instantly enjoying the warmth it brought. She caught a whiff of the smell still lingering on the scarf and felt a smile spread on her face along with a blush, though it was mostly caused due to the cold temperature. Seeing the smile on her face, Yuna couldn't help but feel herself smiling also.

When their little interaction was over, Ano cleared her throat to get the attention of the couple. She watched the whole thing in amusement, but decided she left the two of them waiting for long enough about the surprise she was going to tell them. When the blonde noticed the the two gazes of her, she began talking.

"So, I bet you're dying to know the surprise i've been hiding from you two throughout the day." She said excitedly. While Yuna was only mildly excited, Hina's face was lit up from amazement, even if it was hard to tell from just looking at her. The long haired girl paused for a bit, wanting their anticipation to grow more.

"I decided, along with the help of Nena's friend, Ichiki-san, and Hina's friend, Maki-san, that we're going to have a New Year's party like the one we had last year," she stated, failing to keep her excitement, "Although this time, it's going to be bigger and funner." Ano added the last part as she pumped her fist into the air, a wide grin on her face. The mention of last year's party brought fond memories back to Yuna. It was only her, Ano, and Hina celebrating New Years along with her family, but it was a special moment for her. The thought of having another celebration with all the friends she's made this year filled the brown haired girl with a foreign excitement. She looked over to her right and saw an equal amount of excitement on the Hina's face.

"Where is it going to be at?" The black haired girl asked. The question made Ano falter in her step. She let out a sheepish laugh, while scratching the back of her head.

"You see, that's the problem we've run into." she admitted, a blush spreading on her face. The fact that her plan wasn't fully fleshed out made her embarrassed to say it. Luckily, Yuna was there to save her from her predicament.

"If you want, I could host the party over at my house" she said kindly. The blonde looked at her in gratitude, though there was a bit of hesitance in her expression as well.

"Really Yuna? I don't want to burden you with this task." Ano knew a party this big would make cleaning up afterwards an absolute nightmare. She knew her friend could manage it on her own, but she didn't want the brown haired girl to deal with it by herself.

"Don't worry, I can manage it with no problem at all." She clarified with confidence. Her ability to be organized and take control of a situation with ease would make hosting the party a task she could handle. _Last year's party was at my house too so I should have some idea about what I might expect._ Ano took a second to respond, still looking hesitant _,_ but after a while she said something.

"Ok, as long as you let me help with the preparation." she said in hopes of lessening the workload her friend would do. Yuna nodded in agreement, happy she would have someone to help her.

"Me too." Hina said from the sidelines. The rest of the wall was spent with Yuna being filled in with the details of the celebration by Ano. The party would be on the 31st of December and start at around 8 pm. It will continue until midnight, were all attendees would participate in the countdown to the new year.

While on the topic of attendees, Ano reached into her jacket trying to look for something. She took out a folded up piece of paper she had in one of her pockets. Unfolding it revealed a list of names that appeared to be scribbled on. She handed the list to the brown haired girl who began reading the list. The list consisted of these names: Ano Fuji, Ichiki Umi, Maki Seina, Komano Hina, Toomi Yuna, Miyama Nena, Futano Sasa, Aihara Miki, Moto Iona, Koba Youka, and Ariu Aki. There were some other names Yuna didn't recognize which were probably Ano's other friends or the friends of Umi and Maki.

"These names aren't set in stone or anything. They are just possible people we can invite that might say yes." She said quickly, not wanting to overwhelm her friend right off the bat. The brunette was slightly surprised by the amount of people that might join so she immediately began making mental preparation.

"If you know anybody else that might want to join, you can add their names to the list later." Currently, the number of people attending the party was 15. The number made Yuna realize how much cooking she would do, but luckily she would have both Ano and Hina helping her. Plus, it was less than the amount of cooking she did for the track team during the summer. Before she thought any further, the black haired girl spoke up.

"Can I invite my senpais." She said hopefully. The senpais she was referring to were Mishima Matsuri and Inamoto Miyu, the captain and vice captain of her track club. _I could also invite Tsurugimine Kiri which would bring the number of people up to 18, though I don't know if she'll invite Sonou-sensei._ Kiri was one of the friends she met while working with the kindred spirits. She was dating Sonou-sensei, the classical literature teacher who is well known for her kindness and cute appearance.

"Sure, the more the merrier!" she exclaimed with a thumbs up. Meanwhile Yuna, continued with her mental preparations, made a checklist of all the things she needed to get done for the party. Fortunately, she had two weeks to prepare which gave her enough time to ensure everything was in order. There was still something she needed to clear up first.

"What about Christmas?" The festive holiday was just around the corner which meant she had to plan for that a well. The blonde though for a bit before giving her an answer.

"I figured we could all celebrate that normally with our families since having a Christmas party and a New Year's party will be too overwhelming." Ano replied with a hand on her chin. The brunette nodded her head in understanding, content with the schedule for the next two weeks. The remainder of the walk was spent with Ano and gina eagerly discussing the party and all the fun activities the blonde had come up with. Yuna, on the other hand, was still thinking about things that needed to be done first.

If she was going to be making a lot of food for all the people at the party, she would need to make an estimate of how much ingredients to buy. However, if it was going to be accurate, she needed a list of all the people who are guaranteed to go. That means asking all the people on Ano's list for their response. _This is going to require a lot of work, but I know it's going to be fun in the end_ , she thought with a light smile.

The next few days were spent getting the responses of the people on the list. A big majority of them said yes, including Nena and Sonou-sensei. The pink haired girl is usually not into this sort of thing but she ended up agreeing, much to the surprise of Yuna. Sonou-sensei also agreed since she said she would act as an adult supervisor, though it was a cover up for her real reason to join. She just wanted to spend time with Kiri, much to the other girl's surprise and joy.

The brown haired girl was especially surprised at the list of people who unfortunately won't be coming to the New Years party. Most of them were the friends of Ano, Umi, and Maki that Yuna didn't know. It was understandable, since hey probably had their own things planned for New years. A secret part of her was relieved the only people attending were those she was fairly close with.

However, the one person she knew who ended up saying no to the invitation was Moto Iona, Hina's track and field freind. Yuna was almost certain the blue haired girl would've said yes in an instant, but to her great surprise she didn't. It turned out that the energetic girl was going to visit the rest of her family after Christmas was over to celebrate New Years, which meant she wouldn't make it back on time for the party.

This brought the number of people attending down to 14, excluding her parents, who were having their own celebration by going to a restaurant for dinner which mant they wouldn't be eating at the party. The did say they would make it back in time for the countdown, though

Now that Yuna had a guaranteed number, she could begin buying ingredient for all the food she was going to make. But before she did that, however, she had to celebrate Christmas. Every year, her family and Hina's family would come together to celebrate Christmas. It wasn't anything to fancy or over the top. It was just something simple and fun they did, which didn't affect its importance to Yuna. The brown haired girl gave Hina a new pair of running shoes along with a matching set of bracelets the two of them could wear as a couple.

In return, the black haired girl gave Yuna a new cooking apron and a kiss on the lips. It didn't seem like much but to the brunette, it was the best Christmas she had ever experienced. Once the holiday was over, she began to prepare for the party that would begin in a few days. She spent the majority of her time preparing food with the help of Hina. Ano helped out by setting up a karaoke machine, one of the many things she planned for the celebration. She also helped out with the food, even though she said she wasn't that good with cooking.

Eventually, the day before the party rolled around which meant all the preparations were complete. All that was left to do was to make some final adjustment and finishing touches tomorrow, which Yuna could easily do. As she went to sleep that night, a certain thought kept popping up in her mind.

 _This is going to be something I'll never forget._


	8. New years Party (Part two, end)

**A/N: Sorry this took a while to put out. With the beginning of school, I've been busy with my new classes. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

It was currently 7:30 pm. New Years was fast approaching which meant the party was about to commence. Currently, Yuna was making some last minute preparations and finishing touches before any of the guests arrived. She stood in front of a table located in the kitchen that had a wide assortment of snacks and drinks. The table contained bowls of popcorn, chips, various fruits, and other snacks one might find at a party. It also contained some sweets such as cookies, melon bread, and cupcakes. Next to these bowls were small plates that allowed people to get one of everything if they so choose. In terms of drinks, there were several water bottles on one side of the table for people who preferred drinking water or didn't like the other drinks provided. There was also big bottles of sodas that come in different flavors and a few stacks of cups for people to pour themselves a drink. All of these items were placed neatly and in a way where people could easily spot the items they wanted.

On a bigger table located nearby, there were various food items people could eat while they enjoyed the party. In the center, there was a big plate of sandwiches made differently to accommodate the guests. There was also a stack of pizza boxes to the right of the table. With the help of her parents and some of her friends, they were able to get enough money to buy pizza for all the people attending. A majority of the pizzas were pepperoni but one or two of them were plain cheese. On the left side of the table, there was an empty space that would hold the fruit punch. Earlier this week, Yuna was approached by her friend Youka and asked if she could bring something for the party. The short haired girl told Yuna that one of her band members made a "rockin'" fruit punch. She would be bringing the drink before the party started to make sure everything was ready once it did officially start.

Looking around, the brown haired girl made sure all the decorations were properly in place. The area that was most decorated was the living room since it was the place people would spend a majority of their time. There were extra chairs placed in the room which allowed people to sit down if they get tired of standing. Colorful streamers and balloons dotted the house along with a banner that said "Happy New Years" on them. Ano and Hina sat on one of the couches inflating balloons. While the black haired girl inflated the balloons, her other friend would tie them into a bundle of two or three and hang them from the ceiling. In one corner of the room sat several bags of confetti. Ano told her that during the countdown, she was going to throw confetti at everybody once the clock hit zero. She also said she would help clean up since it would cause a big mess in the end. The kitchen wasn't as decorated as the living room but it did have colorful table covers.

Feeling satisfied with the everything so far, Yuna made her way to the living room and saw that her two friends were already done tying and blowing balloons.

"Everything's all set, Yuna!" said the long haired girl with a thumbs up. Hina also gave a thumbs up of her own while smiling a bit. The three of them decided to take a breather since they've been setting up the party for some time now. Ano sat down on a nearby chair and began to ramble about all the fun activities she planned while the black haired girl listened in excitement. The three of them were the only ones in the house at the moment since Yuna's parents left a while ago for their dinner date. However, the place was soon going to fill up once people started the brown haired girl sat there, she began thinking about certain things.

 _I can't believe it's already been a year,_ she thought to herself. The fact that it's been seven months since the first day she met the kindred spirits was unfathomable. Not only that so much has happened since that day. She met a lot of people while also discovering something about herself in the process. To think that she would be spending New Years with all the people she's befriended was almost too good to be true. Yet it didn't stop Yuna from letting a small smile appear on her face. The brunette was suddenly interrupted from her thought by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Looking at a nearby clock, she noticed that it was 7:45 pm. The time meant that it was still too early for anybody to arrive so the only person that it could be was Youka with the fruit punch. Glad that she brought it early, Yuna walked over to the door expecting her friend to be on the other side. However, when she went to open it, she was surprised to see Umi, Sasa, and Nena standing behind the door. The trio were all dressed accordingly in their own versions of "party" clothes. Probably the person with the most fitting attire was Sasa.

The dark haired girl wore a button shirt that was a shade of purple along with black skinny jeans that appeared to be torn in some places. Her nails were painted a light red and she wore makeup on her face. She wore some high top sneakers that were the same color as her hair. Next to her stood an exuberant Umi who, oddly, wore a yellow sundress with a jacket covering up the top half of her body. The most surprising thing, however, was the fact that she was wearing heels and some makeup, even if it was only a bit. Looking behind them, Yuna unnoticed dark clouds covering the entirety of the sky which meant there was a chance snow would fall. Umi's choice of clothing seemed unbefitting for the current temperature. The only person dressed for the weather was Nena who wore a simple hoodie with some thick looking pants.

"Hey, Toomi-chan! We're here for the party!" Exclaimed Umi rather excitedly. Looking back at the clock, Yuna saw that there was still some time until the party actually started.

"Hi guys, uhh … don't you think you're too early? The party hasn't started yet." She said somewhat confusedly. As she said this, she could see one of Sasa's eyes twitch for a moment.

"Umi! You told us it started at 7:30. I was all worried we were going to arrive late and make a fool of ourselves." She yelled angrily as she glared at the girl next to her. In response, the short haired girl scratched her head while letting out a sheepish laugh. It did little to calm down her fuming girlfriend, though.

"I know, but you left me no choice. You always take so long to get dressed." As she said this, Nena slipped inside in hopes of avoiding the conversation in its entirety. The pink haired girl sat down next to Ano and joined in on the conversation she was having with Hina. Meanwhile, Umi and Sasa continued arguing making Yuna feel a bit uncomfortable just standing there. She decided to say something in hopes of stopping their bickering.

"Umm Ichiki-san … why are you wearing a sundress? Don't you think it's too cold to be wearing that?" Her statement caused the two girls to halt for a moment. She could see a light blush appear on Umi's face and her expression turn bashful.

"Well you see …" she said while averting her eyes, "Sasa wanted me to look my best so she picked out this outfit for me and helped with my makeup as well." Looking at said girl, Yuna noticed a blush appearing on her face too. It seemed her question was successful in distracting the two girls because now they were too busy blushing to remember what they were arguing about.

"It's only because Umi was originally going to come wearing a simple shirt and pants, which was unacceptable." The black haired girl said trying to sound annoyed but she failed to suppress its caring tone. Now that the two of them have calmed down enough, Yuna decided to lead them inside to where the others were at.

Walking into the living room, she was slightly amused to see the sight in front of her. Ano and Nena were having a staring contest while Hina observed from the sidelines. Judging from the way the blonde was straining to keep her eyes open, it must have been quite a while since they've started. However, the look on Nena's face suggested that she was getting fairly bored of staring for so long. Deciding it's gone on for long enough, the pink haired girl leaned her face towards Ano's until their noses were almost touching. The long haired girl was clearly not expecting such an action which caused her to not only blush but blink in surprise. Her glasses almost fell off in the process. Meanwhile, Nena's face stayed neutral the entire time as per usual.

"No fair! You did that on purpose" said the blonde, upset at the loss. The sleepy girl simply shrugged not really moved by her way of winning.

"So what if I did?" She looked at the other girl with an unwavering stare, which made Ano's blush deepen. Eventually, the blonde haired girl looked away and became aware of the new people present in the room. She said a simple greeting while Hina did the same. Umi, upon noticing Nena, was surprised to see her friend already inside without them.

"Nena, why did you enter without us?" She asked while sounding somewhat upset. The pink haired girl looked at her friend as if the answer was obvious enough.

"You two were going to start arguing and I didn't want to be caught in the middle." She said bluntly. The energetic girl gave her friend an apologetic look and decided to leave the topic at that. Afterward, Umi, along with Sasa, took a seat on one of the empty chairs. Deciding to be a good host, Yuna told them about the snacks in the kitchen and the refreshments that came along with it. She saw Umi's face light up, probably with eagerness to eat her cooking. Nena's demeanor stayed the stay while their black haired friend shook her head in slight annoyance, realizing she had to deal with a sugar crazed Umi.

After a while, the group of friends eased into a conversation pertaining to various things such as the party and their thoughts of the year so far. At one point, Sasa pointed out Yuna's current attire and asked if she was going to wear it for the party. Looking down at herself, Yuna realized what she meant. The brunette was wearing a simple shirt with jeans. She observed her friends and saw that each of them wore clothing that was suitable for a party. Ano was wearing a long sleeved shirt with a skirt similar to the one the school made them wear. The blonde doesn't usually wear skirts outside of school but she decided to wear one this time, saying it was a "special" occasion.

The only people not wearing similar clothing were Yuna, Hina, and Nena, though it was normal for the pink haired girl to wear something simple. Deciding she needed a change of clothing, the brown haired girl made her way to her bedroom, but not before taking a look at Hina's attire as well. The younger girl wore the usual clothing she put on when going to school which consisted of a track jacket and shorts. The brown haired girl wanted Hina to wear something that looked better than what she was currently wearing, if only by a small amount.

"Come on Hina, I think I have something for you to wear as well," Yuna said as she walked by. There were several cases in the past where the black haired girl left clothing over at Yuna's house. This was mainly the result of her club activities since she sometimes came over smelling like sweat.

"Do I have to?" Hina muttered, not really liking the idea of changing out of her current clothing. To the younger girl, the outfit she was wearing seemed perfect for every occasion and it was fairly comfortable.

"Yes. It is New Year's after all." Knowing it was futile to argue, the black haired girl reluctantly got up from her seat and followed the brunette up the stairs. Once the two of them reached the room, Yuna began rummaging through her closet in search for a suitable outfit. Since she was someone who doesn't go clothes shopping as much as most girl, her arrangement of clothing was somewhat lacking. Her School uniform was there, but it seemed very unfitting for a party. The other articles of clothing were various versions shirts, blouses, and button ups which all lacked the "party' look to it. Looking deeper into the closet, Yuna managed to find just what she was searching for.

The top she took out of the closet was the exact same top she wore during last year's party. It was a fancy button up that looked similar to a dress shirt and was dark gray in color. The sleeves were long and cuffed at the end. The buttons were white which stood out against the gray fabric. Along with the shirt, Yuna managed to find the pair of pants that came with it. The pants were not as fancy looking as the shirt but to her, they completed the look perfectly. The brown haired girl thought back to last year and the way her mom helped pick out her clothing. Now, a whole year later, wearing the same clothing held a certain specialness to it. _It almost feels … nostalgic_ , she thought with a tiny smile.

Looking back at Hina who was sitting on her bed, Yuna thought about the outfit her girlfriend would wear. Puting the outfit in her hands on a nearby chair, she walked towards her drawer located in the corner of her room. She kneeled down and took a look in one of her compartments.

"If I remembered correctly, there should be some of Hina's clothes in here." She mumbled to herself. After digging in the drawer for a while, the brunette managed to find an outfit that would look good on the younger girl. She lifted up a black t-shirt with a white silhouette of a flower on it. The flower was in the shape of a lily and was located in the chest area. She also found a pair of blue jeans that would go along with the shirt. The brown haired girl got up from her kneeling position and turned towards the short haired girl.

"Here, change into this," Yuna said as she handed the outfit to Hina. The younger girl took the outfit into her hands and stared at it for some time. Her expression was a tad unreadable but it appeared to look almost eager. With a quick nod of the head, she placed the outfit next to her and proceed to take her shirt and jacket off, presumably to change right away. Yuna, not expecting Hina to change right in front of her, was surprised by the sudden action. Before she had a chance to look away, she had already caught a glance at the younger girl's toned stomach and a part of her bra. The sight managed to capture her attention in a sort of trance while a blush began to coat her cheeks. For some reason, she found it hard to look away, despite knowing it was impolite to stare.

 _Enjoying the view?_ The sudden thought managed to bring Yuna back to reality. She took a moment to recollect her thought before heading to the nearby bathroom to change in privacy. Once she was done, the brunette looked herself over in the mirror, making sure it fit properly. Feeling satisfied, she walked into her room just in time to see Hina in her new outfit. With the alternative clothing, the black haired girl looked more mature than she usually did with almost felt unnatural to Yuna.

Before the thought went any further, the brown haired girl heard the doorbell ring. Realizing someone was here, she went downstairs to open the door. Along the way she caught sight of the time which indicated it was 7:58 pm, two minutes before the party officially started. Opening the door revealed a bashful looking Youka carrying a big jug of punch and an irritated Aki.

"Sorry we didn't arrive sooner Toomi-san. Someone completely forgot that we were supposed to be here earlier to deliver the punch." Aki said as she sent an accusing glare towards Youka. Said girl mumbled an apology while genuinely looking sorry for her actions. Yuna didn't want to see her friend feel this way so she did her best to reassure her.

"That's fine. It's good you brought it here before the party started at least.". The brunette hoped her words would ease Youka's worries. Fortunately, it managed to bring a smile back on the light haired girl. Afterward, Yuna helped her friend place the drink in the correct area. All that was left to do was to wait for the others to arrive.

* * *

The next 20 minutes for the brunette were spent opening the door and letting people in. The next pair to arrive was Kiri and Sonou-sensei who wore identical outfits. Yuna took the opportunity to apologize to Senou-sensei in case the party was interfering with other pre made plans. The older woman reassured her by saying she had nothing too special planned in the first place.

The next couple to arrive were Maki and Aihara. The two of them gave their thanks for being invited and wished Yuna a happy New Years. They wore dresses similar to the one Umi was wearing with differences in design in some areas and color. Finally, the last pair to arrive was Matsuri and Miyu who, like the pair before them, gave their thanks for being invited. Matsuri was wearing an outfit that was similar to the one Hina wore while Miyu wore something similar to the one Yuna wore.

Now that all the guests have arrived, it was time for the party to start. As a reminder, Yuna told everyone about the snacks and drinks located in the kitchen. Afterward, they all started off the party with some karaoke. The karaoke machine that Ano brought was designed to hold multiple microphones and had a variety of songs already included. It also had a function that allowed people to connect their phones and look up songs that are not included.

The first person to start singing was Umi who wanted to sing a duet with Sasa. At first, the dark haired girl was very reluctant to sing in the first place but Umi managed to convince her after a while. Coincidently, their duet was a long which resulted in both girls blushing heavily. Next, Maki, Kiri, and Youka sang the opening to an anime the three of them knew. Once they were done, they talked about it more and even bonded as friends. The next hour and a half were filled with all types of singing. Several ballads, pop, rock(thanks to Youka), and miscellaneous songs were sung that night.

The only people that did not sing were Nena, Yuna, and Aihara. Nena did not sing because she wasn't the singing type and both Yuna and Aihara don't sing because they believe they weren't as good as the others. The highlight of the night was when it was Ano's turn to sing. She completely blew everyone away with her singing voice and performance. When the song ended, everybody gave her a round of applause which only made the blonde haired girl embarrassed to receive such praise.

Once karaoke was finished, the group of friends spent the next two hours doing all sorts of fun activities. There were games of twister, musical chairs, charades, and even a rock-paper-scissors tournament. To the surprise of everyone, Nena was the one who won the tournament. Ano, on the other hand, was the first person to lose a match. Since she was no longer apart of it, the blonde took the chance to go outside to get some fresh air. Plus all the people inside made the room hot and stuffy.

Stepping out into the cold winter air felt heavenly to Ano after being inside for so long. The icy air touched her exposed face which managed to cool her sweating forehead. The full moon in the night sky provided enough light for her to see. She took in several deep breaths of air relaxed her mind and eased her thoughts. The frigid temperature meant her breaths were coming out in visible puffs that soon disappeared into the air. For a while, the blonde just stared into the starry night sky, not really thinking of anything specific. Eventually, her thoughts drifted to the events happening right now.

"I can't believe it's already been a year," She thought out loud. It almost felt unreal that next year was only 30 minutes away. She made it her New Year's resolution to be less forgetful but she will probably not remember it in a few days. Ano thought back to the events that transpired this year. All that has happened played in her mind like a slideshow, showing all the memories she had made, the fun she had, and the new experiences she went through. The most memorable part of the year was when Yuna talked about her feelings for Hina. That moment made the long haired girl feel like a reliable friend and she was happy to see her two friends get together in a happy relationship.

While the topic of relationships was on her mind, the blonde haired girl thought about her close friend Nena. The pink haired girl had been on her mind recently ever since the movie night with Yuna and Hina. For some reason, the close proximity she had with Nena that day made her heart beat faster than usual. She could also feel her face heat up whenever her friend got a bit too close. Not only that, the staring contest they had made her heart beat like crazy.

It didn't take long for Ano to realize what her feelings meant. All the yuri mangas she has read in the past pointed to her having a crush on Nena. On the day she came to this conclusions, the blonde haired girl spent several minutes freaking out. _That's crazy. Me, having a crush on … on Nena!?_ She thought to herself when she made the realization. At first, the idea of having romantic feeling for her pink haired friends seem far fetched. However, over the next few days, she began to realize how true her feeling where.

She always felt happier than usual whenever she was around the sleepy girl. During one of their play sessions, Ano was mysteriously drawn to Nena's eyes. Her eyes were a weird shade a brown that had some pink mixed into it which managed to captivate the blonde. She was staring for so long that she ended up losing the match the two of them were doing. When the pink haired girl asked why her character stopped moving all of a sudden, Ano responded by saying her controller stopped working. Of course, Nena didn't believe it and stared at her friend which made the blonde look away in embarrassment.

Besides acting differently, Ano also began to see her friend in a new light. Her facial feature stood out more such as the way her hair framed her face. The face she made whenever she took a nap was, in a way, cute to Ano. She was also more eager to spend time with her friends whenever she had the chance. As the blonde was lost in her thoughts, she failed to hear the door open and someone walk up beside her.

"I knew you'd be out here" The sudden voice managed to startle Ano from her musing. Turning around towards the direction of the voice, she saw Nena standing in front of her, the usual expression on her face. Ano could feel her cheeks begin to glow red, the previous thoughts still fresh in her mind.

"So, mind telling me why you're out here?" Nena said while leaning on the outside wall. She closed her eyes in the process, enjoying the cool air as well.

"O-oh. I was just getting some fresh air." The blonde said while trying to suppress her embarrassment. For a while, the pink haired girl didn't say anything. She simply leaned on the wall in total silence.

"How about you?" Ano asked, hoping her friend would respond. The pink haired girl glanced at the blond for a second before fixing her gaze at the full moon above them.

"Same. Plus, Yuna-san said we could talk amongst ourselves since there are only 25 minutes until the countdown, so I took the opportunity to come out here." She said while staring straight ahead. The blonde nodded her head in agreement and did the same. They stayed like that for a while as they fell in a comfortable silence. Eventually, Ano decided to speak up.

"You know, I'm surprised you agreed to come to the party. You are usually against this sort of thing." She said bashfully while scratching the back of her head.

"Well, it was you who invited me so I couldn't say no," Nena stated while shifting her weight from one leg to another. Ano, surprised to hear her response, was confused.

"What do you mean?" It seemed strange to the blonde that her friend would agree to come just because it was her who gave the invitation. In the past, the pink haired girl would refuse to go anywhere no matter how much convincing Ano would do.

"You are one of the few people I can stand. At some point, I can say I actually enjoy spending time with you." Nena said while looking at the floor near her feet. As she said this, the long haired girl could feel a warm fuzzy feeling grow in her chest. She took a look at the short haired girl and saw that she was staring directly at her. This made Ano's previous blush return.

"You could say that I like you, Ano." The pink haired girl said bluntly. The word "like" managed to catch the blonde haired girl off guard, clearly not expecting such a statement. Her blush deepened as she failed to come up with a response. She was also not expecting the next thing Nena did. She reached up and gave the girl in front of her a quick peck on the lips. It only lasted a split second but to Ano, it felt like time had slowed down by 100%. For a moment, the blonde stood motionless while her brain attempted to catch up to what was happening. Meanwhile, the pink haired girl had a small blush on her face, a very tiny smile spreading on her lips.

"Well, I'm going back inside. If you don't want to catch a cold, you should too." She said as she made her way to the door, leaving a blushing Ano behind. Once the blonde managed to get out of the trance she was in, she could feel a wide grin spreading on her face, the warm feeling in her chest growing as well. She followed Nena inside, and as she did this, a single thought filled her mind.

 _This has been the best year ever._


End file.
